Eletronic Prescriptions

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

I just wondering is it just me,where I live or do others had problems with their repeat prescriptions ? Yesterday I chased up my pharmacy who had not delivered my medications they said the Doctors had not returned their request so I called my doctor who said they had not been requested, last month part of my meds were not delivered which turns out to be quite strange my pharmacy tell me that send a prediction request to Doctors on a A4 piece of paper so how can only part order be send ?

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I order my prescription online. I then log in after a day or 2 and check that it has been approved. (I assume this is approval by the doctor.) This seems to work very well.

Les.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

I used to have to traipse to the docs every month to post a prescription for my meds. For over a year now i have the NHS app on the phone. I request a few days before i need them & then go round to the counter & they are always there. I know a lot of folk don't do tech , but the app has never let me down.

Steve.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I don't have anything delivered, but my Doctor is still in Sheffield, though we now live in Buxton.
My prescription is forwarded automatically to a chemist over here, where I collect it after a few days.
I used to order on-line, via my doctor's web site, but have now installed NHS app onto my Android mobile, though it works on Apple phones and many tablets too.
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/
Note that this is NHS app, not anything to do with Track &Trace i.e. not NHS Covid-19 App.

I now order repeat prescriptions via that; my current phone has a fingerprint sensor, which makes logging on to the app even easier.
The other advantage, is that you get a record, which you can easily access on the app, of prescriptions, test results, future appointments etc.

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 24/11/2021 19:28:33

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

If you think your repeats are approved by a doctor think again, mine were approved by a phlebotomist who I know personally (no special treatment) and she was rubber stamping a hundred or so a shift!!!

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Thanks for comments so it would appear than the system works the problem is local to me

H

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

When covid got into full swing my surgery allowed repeat prescriptions to be requested by telephoning the surgery, a few months ago this service was discontinued,
Since then I like many now use the NHS site to sign in and order repeat prescriptions from my laptop, it's pretty straightforward to register for the online service and I have found it works very well.

Emgee

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I have to go to the surgery and deliver the scrip and wait 3 days, but,when I go to collect I only get half the order and am given an IOU for whats missing.

Usually get to go back 24 hrs later. I sked why they dont order enough but got no clear answer. At least I can buy a paper and a box of cakes.

One point is that in 20 years I have never seen the same Dr. twice!

Edited By Clive Hartland on 24/11/2021 22:10:03

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Clive

Only getting half of the prescribed medicines is probably the fault of your chemist who makes up the prescription.

Why not go to the NHS site with your NHS registration number and sign up for electronic prescription ordering ?
You can find your NHS number on the repeat prescription form.

Emgee

[charadamParticipant @charadam]

Do you have patientaccess.com where you are? I have found it completely reliable for the last 3 years.

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

I use Patientaccess.com and have had no trouble for two or three years. Even ordering meds for gout which is not a repeat

Roy

[Alistair Robertson 1Participant @alistairrobertson1]

I live in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and I find that some changes to the Prescription ordering procedure have gone awry. Most medications are packaged in 7, 14 or 28 day packs so they don't last for a full calendar month.

The problem is that my repeat prescription is on a calender month basis i.e. on or near the sixth of the month so the only month I get the correct amount of medication is 3 years out of 4 every February!

I have to contact the chemist to obtain the shortage and they have to phone to get the doctor to raise and sign an extra prescription which covers me for a few months until the whole cycle is repeated.

I contacted the local Health Board and tried to get an answer or maybe a solution from them but they just said that pills are packaged on a weekly basis but prescriptions are issued on a calendar basis and this cannot be changed as the issuing computer software works on a calendar cycle. They understood the problem as they have had 100's of complaints from doctors about the extra manual work involved but they cannot change the system!

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Myself and wife use Patientaccess.com for our repeat prescriptions but twice recently my wife’s prescriptions have not been processed and have had to be reposted, Pharmacy blames the Doctors Surgery but wife blames me as I am the one who inputs the requests, she is not very tech savvy, if anything goes wrong in our house it’s always my fault but then that’s part of the job description for Husband isn’t it? Dave W

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

I worked in IT at a large medical practice before I retired. We were even involved in some pilot testing of electronic prescriptions many years back.

Trust me, the system is very stable and works perfectly 99.9999% of the time. When it doesn't, its usually due to human error.

The vast majority of repeats are processed by staff in the Practice and then effectively electronically ' signed ' by the Doctor. Only if a query has been flagged with the order, or by the patient, would it be referred to a GP for action.

A service like Patientaccess is very helpful in making oredering and checking very easy, but it depends on the IT systems used by your Practice, and alternative services are available.

Most problems appear to be caused at the pharmacy end when delays and missing items are caused by the usuall issues that affect many retail organisations at present, i.e. insufficient staff, delivery delays from suppliers etc. its very much pot luck on where you live and how good your pharmacy is I'm afaraid.

Regards, Mike

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Alistair – ( I'm assuming here that Scotland is similar to England).Most GP practices will accept a repeat request a max of 7 days before it is due (some may be 10 days). Simpy order your meds as early as possible so you are effectvely a week ' ahead', if you do this every month you soon end up with a buffer that covers the extra days over the 4 week cycle. I've been doing it for ages, you just need to be organised and mark ' order repeats ' on your calendar the correct day every month!

This isn't a method of obtaining unecessary medication or cheating the NHS, just a simple method of getting round the 4 week v calendar month issue. In your case it would in fact cut down the workload of your GP Practice and pharmacy by them not having to keep issuing top-up precriptions!

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Mike,

The system may well be very stable, but it's a right pain in the butt for a patient to use. I used to order my repeat prescriptions online until they brought in a third level of authentication which required me to do something, I forget what, but which in turn required me to supply and use a mobile 'phone. Now I do have a mobile 'phone – for my occasional use only: it spends 95% of its time switched off and quite frankly I do not see why I should be required to use it (the mobile 'phone) for their convenience.

The system required me to call up the surgery web page, dismiss the pop-up notice, select the appropriate column, select the appropriate column entry, select the appropriate word from the pop-up that appeared, input the first id, input a password, do something else, select something else, input the third id, select the pharmacy, select the drugs, and then finally logoff. 13 or so operations in total.

In contrast, I now dial up, listen (unfortunately, because I've not yet discovered how to get round it) the two or three messages including one extolling me to use the on-line system, select my preferred pharmacy by pressing a number on the keypad, speak my name, address, and the drugs required, and hang-up. Much simpler, apart from the opening messages, and much faster.

In general, I am willing to use electronic means, but when it gets as long-winded as described above, then I draw the line. It may save the surgery time, but what about my time, or doesn't that count?

So, the system may work well, it may be the bees knees etc, but until it becomes easier to use and takes less of MY time, then I will not use it.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

I merely order when I need it. One of my meds is in a 60 pack which covers 30 days but the others are all 28/56, so I get an opened pack with clipped part sheets to make up the 28 day cycle. I also order well in advance, say for Xmas so as to avoid bad weather problems. System seems to cope OK.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

My old pharmacy used to do everything for me. They told me a date to pick up the next prescription and texted me when it was ready.

My new doctor's allows me to use the app, but I had to go through two rounds of blood tests and a lot of phone calls before I eventually got a 'stock' of 13 prescriptions for the next year.

One problem is our pharmacy still uses paper prescriptions, so it can take extra days for them to collect the prescription from the surgery. Not a big issue for me, I order a week before I need it.

Worse for my dad, he has a new inhaler, which is much better for him, but the pharmacy hadn't added it on to his bi-monthly prescription with the result that he had to wait four days for it, leaving him well under the weather, and it's taken another two days for it to build up in his system. Plus, they have only sent one refil and an inhaler rather than two refills, so it will only last a month.

It takes up so much time sorting these things!

Neil

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

I just email my doctors when I need a repeat script, 2 days later the pharmacy texts me to pick it up, it works well.

Tony

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Peter, obviously I can't comment on how well or poor your surgery web site might function, but the third-party system mentioned earlier (PatientAccess * ) is really dead straightforward to use and I can complete the whole process of ordering a full set of repeats in 3 – 4 steps. All your previous drugs / preferred pharmacy etc are all pre set so once you log on, literally one click selects everything and anoher confirmation click its all done.

OK ,I have an IT background so find these things comfortable to use, but believe me I have little patience for systems that are more time and trouble than a ' traditional ' one. At the end of the day, life has just got more complicated and all these time / labour saving devices and systems allways seem to end up with the end-user being worse off!

( * I have no connection with the providers of the PatientAccess system )

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Mike,

It's Patient Access that my surgery uses!

Peter.

p.s I mentioned having to listen to the messages on the Repeat Prescription line because I haven't found a way round it. With the normal appointment booking line, there are three messages before getting the queue system. I found that pressing 2 very nicely skips each message! Pity it doesn't work with the Repeat Prescription line.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Local surgery used to have a dedicated repeat prescription line which I could never understand was "busy" for long periods of time. How long does it take to give name and whatever list of medication requested? This has been superseded by t'internet access. Fine, but, every twelve months the "System" decides that it isn't going to supply the prescription because it needs to be reactivated by a "Clinician". This medication, five pills a day since 2002, is supplied on a two monthly basis but one has to ring the surgery to request a clinician ring me, for me to request him/her to press a button on a computer to accept my "order"

Basic problem, since covid, when ringing the ONLY number for the surgery, after listening to two and a quarter minutes of puerile carp telling me not to visit the surgery etc. etc. we then are "Number nineteen in the queue". Last time, a couple of months ago, my reactivation request cost me £12 thanks to Don't Don't. Last explanation for long wait, "We had thirty lines before covid, we now only have three". Didn't realise covid attacks telephone lines?

My tablets run out on a Friday, request is logged Friday before and collected following Thursday. Chemist would deliver but would rather collect.

Regards Ian.

[Alistair Robertson 1Participant @alistairrobertson1]

Mike, the thing is my repeat is automatically set for the sixth of the month and cannot be changed or altered only cancelled. I cannot even alter the amounts required as I have one pill that I just take when I require it but the system is locked to the pills and amounts which are set at the initial setup.

A case of someone setting up a system they don't understand.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

Peter

It may be worth giving Patientaccess another go.

I have used it for a while and as you say, they did increase security by asking you to provide some extra details. As far as I remember, that was only once.

When I log on, I only normally get asked for my email or patient id and password. Only Occasionally (it’s probably only asked once or twice) it will ask for some of the extra details I provided earlier.

You can set your computer to remember your login details if you want so it is only a few clicks then.

My local Pharmacy (part of a chain) has now started preparing some orders at a central location so it can now take up to a week for them to arrive at the local pharmacy. Having said that, I placed an order on Sunday and got a text to say they were ready and picked them up yesterday.

Stuart

Edited By Stuart Smith 5 on 25/11/2021 11:13:49

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