Do I have any legal rights with my chemist and my GP

Badgeman

Registered User
Feb 22, 2014
97
0
Sorry to moan.

I spoke to my GP about a fact that for some reason my mums medication was not all present on her repeat prescription. I was assured that it was a mistake and I would get all her medication. (Mum has middle to bad Alzheimer's). She relies on strong medication to limit the symptoms, and to limit the fact that she has severe anxiety due to her illness, and she had cancer of the thyroid in the past and needs thyroxin.

This was Tuesday. I went to get them today, and cut a long story short. When I checked the meds to give her this evening, only a third of her meds were present. No thyroxin, no sertraline to help her anxiety, and no zopiclone to help her sleep, due to the severe anxiety she suffers due to her Alzheimer's.

I'm really, upset about this, and I'm angry about it. I was assured that I would get them, thus I didn't check until I was about to give her the meds.

Am I wrong thinking My mum and I have been hard done by, considering I will have to wait until Monday to speak to a GP, and mum has only just gone to sleep at 4:00 am.

I'm angry about this. Sorry to moan to my fellow carers, but this is happening all the time. Every 28 days there are meds missing from mums prescriptions... It's getting so bad I'm thinking of legal action.

Sorry to moan friends, but I'm really upset by this. Mum doesn't sleep or calm down without her anxiety meds.

Thanks for the moan.
 

Leswi

Registered User
Jul 13, 2014
120
0
Bedfordshire
I would book an appointment with the GP and go through the issue. It sounds like their repeat prescription system isn't working and GP can make changes on the system for future. If pharmacy is open today they may issue an emergency supply of missing meds to tide you over.
 

Grey Lad

Registered User
Sep 12, 2014
5,736
0
North East Lincs
Sorry to moan.

I spoke to my GP about a fact that for some reason my mums medication was not all present on her repeat prescription. I was assured that it was a mistake and I would get all her medication. (Mum has middle to bad Alzheimer's). She relies on strong medication to limit the symptoms, and to limit the fact that she has severe anxiety due to her illness, and she had cancer of the thyroid in the past and needs thyroxin.

This was Tuesday. I went to get them today, and cut a long story short. When I checked the meds to give her this evening, only a third of her meds were present. No thyroxin, no sertraline to help her anxiety, and no zopiclone to help her sleep, due to the severe anxiety she suffers due to her Alzheimer's.

I'm really, upset about this, and I'm angry about it. I was assured that I would get them, thus I didn't check until I was about to give her the meds.

Am I wrong thinking My mum and I have been hard done by, considering I will have to wait until Monday to speak to a GP, and mum has only just gone to sleep at 4:00 am.

I'm angry about this. Sorry to moan to my fellow carers, but this is happening all the time. Every 28 days there are meds missing from mums prescriptions... It's getting so bad I'm thinking of legal action.

Sorry to moan friends, but I'm really upset by this. Mum doesn't sleep or calm down without her anxiety meds.

Thanks for the moan.

One alternative if needed is to go to 'Out of Hours' if you have one available. Other than that your hospital can help and give you a few tablets for the weekend. I know it's all a pain but might be worth it if she needs the missing meds.
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,999
0
72
Dundee
Would you consider changing pharmacists as you are unhappy with this one?

My mum had her medications made up in a blister pack for the week. The pharmacy delivered 4 packs for the month. It was called the Nomad system but I think there are other names/systems. It meant that I didn't have to make up the week's meds in one of those plastic pill containers as I had been doing. The GP has to prescribe the meds in this way. I asked our pharmacist recently if I could get my husband's meds in a nomad packet but I was told I need to ask the GP.
 

Badgeman

Registered User
Feb 22, 2014
97
0
Thanks to all

I can't really mention how it will be solved as I know I'm putting people who are not legally allowed to help, but are helping, into to a problematic situation. However, I will be able to get mums meds on Monday.

The missing medication has been happening for six months and I'm fed up with it. I was assured by mums GP on Tuesday that all would be there when I picked them up, yet out of thirteen items, mum only got six. I'm angry because some of th meds are very important to mums health, and tbh my own as she can be very, very aggressive without strong anti-anxiety medication which she didn't get.

I and my mums SS workers have tried to get her meds delivered, but as I live in the middle nowhere, nobody has a delivery service, and I can't drive as I have problems with my vision. If I mention this to people, they just tell me to move house. I cannot find a solution, and neither can the SS or mums carers.

I'm sorry, I'm just moaning. It's very lonely looking after somebody who is so ill, and can no longer look after themselves. Nobody seems to give a penny about me or my mum. And I get sad about it, and the only place I can truly moan is on the forum. I'm sorry, I know there are people worse off than myself, but I needed to get the whole business of my chest. I've got some help this time getting my mums meds that are missing. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Thank you all again.
 

Pegsdaughter

Registered User
Oct 7, 2014
128
0
London
Have you tried to speaking to age uk, friends of the elderly or independent age as all those charities have advice lines and volunteers they may be able to put you in touch with a volunteer who could collect meds befriend etc. As for moving house are these people going to find the property, help the move find the costs etc. More helpful if they came up with a practical solution or indeed put themselves out to help. Fingers crossed you can get it sorted.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point
 

chrisdee

Registered User
Nov 23, 2014
171
0
Yorkshire
Badgeman, really sorry to hear this. My Mum lived in a village with bro, who was main carer. We had this too, gosh is it mega frustrating, as the consequences are known to us but not others. I agree that it is the repeat prescription system at fault, which does not help you I'm sure. We solved this with a more co-operative pharmacist who ran the place single-handedly. Legally there is nothing you can do but I would impress on the pharmacy the implications of missing meds - maybe even the GP if you think they are inexperienced. Had this with my own meds recently, apparently depends if you tick the box or leave it. they said that tick meant no but open box meant yes - unbelievable, I know, I know.
 

CollegeGirl

Registered User
Jan 19, 2011
9,525
0
North East England
Please don't feel you have to apologise for 'moaning' on this forum! You are among people here who understand totally how this problem is a pretty major one for you and your mum, especially given your circumstances. If getting it off your chest here has helped, then that's great. I only wish there was something practical that we could do to help.

Unfortunately my own mam's medication service leaves a lot to be desired. They are delivered once a week in a dosette pack (or blister pack, or whatever the flipping things are called these days!) but unfortunately they are often incorrect in that the meds might not be in the correct time slot, sometimes the odd one is missing, and the way the lorazepam tablets are cut in 'half' means that some doses are bigger than others, instead of all being exactly the same half tablet size. It's laughable really to think that these are packed and then supposedly checked by a second pharmacist before being sent out.

It's really not good enough. I hope you get something sorted, Badgeman.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
If the monthly prescription is standard have you considered repeat dispensing as opposed to repeat prescription.
I use repeat dispensing and get a pack of 12 prescriptions from the GP, you can either leave them with a chosen pharmacy or keep them yourself, I leave mine with a pharmacy which means that I can go in and order when I want, if I am going away I simple ask for two month's worth.
 

chrisdee

Registered User
Nov 23, 2014
171
0
Yorkshire
Please don't feel you have to apologise for 'moaning' on this forum! You are among people here who understand totally how this problem is a pretty major one for you and your mum, especially given your circumstances. If getting it off your chest here has helped, then that's great. I only wish there was something practical that we could do to help.

Unfortunately my own mam's medication service leaves a lot to be desired. They are delivered once a week in a dosette pack (or blister pack, or whatever the flipping things are called these days!) but unfortunately they are often incorrect in that the meds might not be in the correct time slot, sometimes the odd one is missing, and the way the lorazepam tablets are cut in 'half' means that some doses are bigger than others, instead of all being exactly the same half tablet size. It's laughable really to think that these are packed and then supposedly checked by a second pharmacist before being sent out.

It's really not good enough. I hope you get something sorted, Badgeman.

My Mum could not have lorazepam on the repeat set-up, we had to contact the doctor every time. So it just shows how standards vary. Most unsatisfactory!
 

theunknown

Registered User
Apr 17, 2015
433
0
No, you're not 'moaning', because this is important to you (and your mum). When people are reliant on medication it can make a big difference if they don't get it.
 

byrnedjp

Registered User
Mar 21, 2013
168
0
London
I have to watch the repeat prescriptions like a hawk - its like a lottery

I sat down with the chemist and told him of the "problems" that kept cropping up with the surgery issuing prescriptions and its improved to an extent - but problems still crop up every other week

Try - if you can to develop an understanding with the chemist - it helps when you both know that the surgery isnt perfect - if the chemist is on your side it does help.

To be honest i got fed up with ringing the surgery (30 mins to answer phone sometimes) ....befriend the chemist if you can
 

Badgeman

Registered User
Feb 22, 2014
97
0
Thanks again to all

It's nice to know that I'm just moaning, and others have a similar situation.

Everything I try, just feels like I'm whistling in the wind. I just get a big no, everything I try. What seems to have happened (some people I'm not allowed to mention looked into this) is that the GP surgery sent a repeat prescription form from September 2nd instead of October 2nd. I don't know why, I don't understand. It's extremely unprofessional imho. This is a woman of 85 with Alzheimer's and some other severe medical conditions, and not just for my sake, but for hers, she needs these meds. Mum had thyroid cancer, and needs thyroxin (or whatever it's called now) as she has half a thyroid gland, and it doesn't work. Even those meds were missing. I spoke to my GP and the surgery on Tuesday, trying to make sure, and was assured that I would get her medication.

Finally, what annoys me most is the trouble I have with the chemist/surgery understanding a month. The meds are 28 days worth, yet I'm constantly short or out of mums meds,as everybody else seems to think that a month is the number on the date, such as sept 2nd and oct 2nd. It's not, I'm sure if it were February it would be true, but I have a real battle nearly every month over this. I'm constantly told off that I'm sending in mums prescriptions too early, despite them telling me it takes 48 hrs to make up a prescription, or so late that mum has to go a day or so without any.

Moaning again :) thank you everybody, I do need to get these things off my chest.
 

Aragorn

Registered User
Jul 23, 2015
18
0
I very rarely have a problem (fortunately) but I ALWAYS open the packet and check the contents against the prescription before I leave the shop. The system is not completely reliable.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
I don't understand what your pharmacy is doing. We have all his repeat prescriptions in our pharmacy's system, the tablets in the dossette box are dispensed every four weeks automatically, I just have to enter the pharmacy and ask for them. We have a few others that are on repeat as and when necessary, so 3 - 4 days before they run out I call and order them and then go in and collect. If I need to collect earlier or more than 4 weeks due to a holiday coming up I just need to tell them. Never had a problem before so your pharmacy needs to be kicked into shape!
 

Badgeman

Registered User
Feb 22, 2014
97
0
No dosette box

I don't understand what your pharmacy is doing. We have all his repeat prescriptions in our pharmacy's system, the tablets in the dossette box are dispensed every four weeks automatically, I just have to enter the pharmacy and ask for them. We have a few others that are on repeat as and when necessary, so 3 - 4 days before they run out I call and order them and then go in and collect. If I need to collect earlier or more than 4 weeks due to a holiday coming up I just need to tell them. Never had a problem before so your pharmacy needs to be kicked into shape!

No dossette box etc, no delivery and tbh a sincere lack of service or even a modicum of understanding of how I'll mum really is. And if I'm honest to my fellow members a real bad attitude. I get told off all the time. Especially if I've sent the repeat in a day early, or if it's needed immediately, I get told off that prescriptions take 48 hrs to be made up.

I know I must sound like I'm making this up, but I'm not kidding. The ss have tried to help, and so have mums carers, but we all get absolutely nowhere. There are always meds missing, both mums and mine.

I do think I have a legal position against my GP's surgery for allowing this. I'm really fed up with it all. I must go to bed, but mum isn't well, and I have to be up in 7hrs, to talk to the GP about getting mums meds today, and I'm not sure mum will let me sleep without her anti-anxiety meds. Wish me luck, and thank you all for your kindness.
 

Pickles53

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
2,474
0
Radcliffe on Trent
I made a formal complaint to the GP when they messed up mum's repeat prescription, over a bank holiday weeken of course. I would encourage you to do this if they are issuing incomplete prescriptions or for the wrong time period. It does tend to get their attention as all complaints are logged and inspected by auditors.

If the pharmacy can't do the job, is it possible to vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere? I changed to the pharmacy attached to the GP's surgery and actually they were brilliant at sorting out the issues caused by the GP.

We had the 28 day boxes but had absolutely no problems getting the prescription delivered every 4 weeks.

Pharmacists do have a professional body so the other option would be to complain to them.
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
0
74
Durham
Some of my husbands medication is delivered in the dosette boxes each week, all his diabetic things have to be ordered online or phone and the acupan and diazepam I have to phone when he needs some more, are all of your mums medication on repeat prescription, because there are some things that our GP won't put on repeat,
 

Badgeman

Registered User
Feb 22, 2014
97
0
Thanks again for listening.

I got my mums prescriptions today.

It turns out that after the usual telling off by my surgery's receptionist etc, I hadn't ticked any of the boxes on mums prescriptions (I did though, I always check). Oh well, at least I got them. The whole thing has upset me. I swear, that if mum was hit by a meteorite, I'd get told off by the SS, the surgery amongst many others that it was my fault she was sitting in that chair when the meteorite came through the roof.

Well it's over now, at least until next month.

Thanks for putting up with my moaning everybody.
 

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