Chaos! Do doctors /pharmacy ever consider the old!

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
I also care for my mum (not PWD ) who is divorced from dad.
I had a phone call from mum the other day about how to order her tablets as she had tried to phone them for a repeat prescription. No one answering. There is nothing unusual in this . They hardly ever answer it. So mum has then sent an order off via post so she could get her pills delivered. That went Monday. By Wednesday they should have been sorting them for delivery today (Friday).Bearing in mind that this woman is 85 in heart failure amongst a few other things..Last time we had to go and pick up her tablets as she was told it was for housebound people only! She was crying in the pharmacy at that point.
She is wondering if it is the same thing again.
Her most urgent pill is her blood thinner.
She is supposed to be self isolating as she is at “high risk”. But because she is mobile she can pick them up.
She runs out of them on Sunday.

I will be picking them up for her (if done) on Monday as they don’t deliver on Saturday!
Absolutely fuming!!!
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,678
0
Midlands
I stood in a queue for 40 mins at the chemist. They are totally over run.

My chemist delivers where they can, others use neighbours or friends.

Its unrealistic to meet everyone's requirements at the moment
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
My pharmacy posted on Facebook to thank people for their patience saying the volume of their phone calls has increased by 300% .

She is supposed to be self isolating as she is at “high risk”. But because she is mobile she can pick them up.

She is taking a risk by picking them up. Is it possible you could arrange a delivery for her. I am mobile but my pharmacy has delivered my medication for years and is continuing to do so.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
There should be various volunteer groups who are willing to pick up drugs for people in the at risk group. You may be able to find them via Facebook, or try googling volunteer hubs in your area
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
I stood in a queue for 40 mins at the chemist. They are totally over run.

My chemist delivers where they can, others use neighbours or friends.

Its unrealistic to meet everyone's requirements at the moment
I understand that. But this is not a new thing with them .It is an ongoing problem. At one time they used to deliver on a certain day now it is whenever..
 

annielou

Registered User
Sep 27, 2019
1,917
0
Yorkshire
I bet mum and you are very worried they won't get to her in time. I hope they do X Its very stressful and people have enough to worry about at moment. Things are chaos at the moment aren't they, but then the system seemed to struggle before the virus hit anyway.
Getting in touch with mine/mums drs has always been like doing the lottery, there was a very small chance you would get through on phone and had to call multiple times. Hubby had to ring for his repeat prescription last week,it took him quite a few goes to get through to his which is a different surgery to mine and mums. As it was his first repeat she set him up so he could ring dedicated prescription ordering line in future, which during virus lockdown he'll need to do as can't go in and drop it off, the line is only available for 2 hrs a day. He arranged to have it sent to tesco pharmacy but was told it'll take a couple of days now and he might be best to ring first to check they'd got it. It was there after couple of days so it was ok but it took him quite a few rings to get through to pharmacy too.
Mum got her repeat prescription from memory clinic through post last week and we tried to get it at tesco at same time as hubbys, they only had 50mg sertraline so would give her two packs and they had no galantamine so would need to order so asked if I wanted to try somewhere else which I did. They have had to order galantamine the last few times, last time they said would be 2 days and it ended up being 4 so only got them night before mum needed them and that was before lockdown. Luckily the next day hubby went by a pharmacy near us and it was open and they had both of mums tablets. The pharrmacy at tesco is only open 9-6 now and local one 10-12 so less time to get them too now. I understand its so they can prepare the increase in prescriptions but I was wondering why there is an increase? I can see they'd be busier selling other things like cold things and vitamins and cleaning things and maybe like other places have staff shortages and want to minimise contact with other people but I'm probably being dumb here but why are there more prescriptions than usual? I didn't think antibiotics worked on the virus.
 

Lawson58

Registered User
Aug 1, 2014
4,333
0
Victoria, Australia
I have never really had a problem with either my doctor or the pharmacy but it's hard not to notice the difference in how things are going. I can now get a park in the clinic car park which was also impossible before so I believe that people are staying away from anything medical in case they catch covid-19 .

One of the doctors was in scrubs and was coming out to cars to give flu jabs and disappearing back into the clinic. Our GP saw us together which doesn't usually happen but is obviously more efficient than before (and gave us our flu vaccinations at the same time). My pharmacy will deliver if necessary but this Is only for regular customers. We also get a little free bottle of pharmacy produced hand sanitizer in with our scripts. But then our pharmacists know me by name because I have been going there for years. Over the years they have witnessed our signatures on things like statuary Dec's. And witnessed our wills.
So we are well known and at Christmas I arrive with boxes of top quality chocs for everybody. Sometimes In late spring I will take them roses. Every little bit of appreciation works wonders.
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
Sorry your mum is having trouble with meds @TNJJ, Social Services gave me a phone number for a local organisation who deliver food and meds. My OH does not come under the high risk category, but they took my details and promised to get back to me. There are local charities springing up on facebook ( I know there's some rubbish on there too) which offer similar services.
 

Melles Belles

Registered User
Jul 4, 2017
1,213
0
South east
One of my daughter’s friends who works in a pharmacy said that their turnover last week was 10 times higher than before the virus. They are so busy especially with staff off sick or self isolating
 

Baker17

Registered User
Mar 9, 2016
3,382
0
I volunteer for our local Carers Association and we are collecting meds for people who can’t get out, I have also been collecting click and collect orders for these people as well.
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
I bet mum and you are very worried they won't get to her in time. I hope they do X Its very stressful and people have enough to worry about at moment. Things are chaos at the moment aren't they, but then the system seemed to struggle before the virus hit anyway.
Getting in touch with mine/mums drs has always been like doing the lottery, there was a very small chance you would get through on phone and had to call multiple times. Hubby had to ring for his repeat prescription last week,it took him quite a few goes to get through to his which is a different surgery to mine and mums. As it was his first repeat she set him up so he could ring dedicated prescription ordering line in future, which during virus lockdown he'll need to do as can't go in and drop it off, the line is only available for 2 hrs a day. He arranged to have it sent to tesco pharmacy but was told it'll take a couple of days now and he might be best to ring first to check they'd got it. It was there after couple of days so it was ok but it took him quite a few rings to get through to pharmacy too.
Mum got her repeat prescription from memory clinic through post last week and we tried to get it at tesco at same time as hubbys, they only had 50mg sertraline so would give her two packs and they had no galantamine so would need to order so asked if I wanted to try somewhere else which I did. They have had to order galantamine the last few times, last time they said would be 2 days and it ended up being 4 so only got them night before mum needed them and that was before lockdown. Luckily the next day hubby went by a pharmacy near us and it was open and they had both of mums tablets. The pharrmacy at tesco is only open 9-6 now and local one 10-12 so less time to get them too now. I understand its so they can prepare the increase in prescriptions but I was wondering why there is an increase? I can see they'd be busier selling other things like cold things and vitamins and cleaning things and maybe like other places have staff shortages and want to minimise contact with other people but I'm probably being dumb here but why are there more prescriptions than usual? I didn't think antibiotics worked on the virus.
It sounds like your mum and mine have very similar pharmacies. Chaos before this and even more after. We have been calling for a week to see if anyone has received it as mum had to post it. We have yet to find anyone that answers a phone. Or even if you could leave a message but no joy.
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
Someone answered the phone today after a week of trying. No they haven’t received mums prescription but are now doing it up..
 

annielou

Registered User
Sep 27, 2019
1,917
0
Yorkshire
Someone answered the phone today after a week of trying. No they haven’t received mums prescription but are now doing it up..
Grrrrrrrrrr? Glad you finally got through to someone so at least got it sorted now. Its probably stuck on a pile somewhere in office. Hope its get sorted in time for when mum needs them. X
 

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