repeat prescriptions ?

[anneasquith]

i know its been advertised on tv, but remember to order your repeat prescriptions in plenty time before the xmas/new year breaks,

[bednobs]

but only order what you need. Billions of pounds are wasted by the NHS each year in prescritption drugs that are never taken

[sandyRoe]

I collected a 3 months supply the other day. Should keep me going to near St Patricks Day.

[bednobs]

i'm really surprised they gave you 3 months worth, as most prescribing rules are now only for 28 days/1 month because of all the waste. Unless it was a private prescription

[sandyRoe]

No, not private. It's a statin and other stuff for BP. I'm in NI

[sunny-dave]

Someone, somewhere is bending the system for you Sandy - NHS guidelines are to prescribe one month at a time, to avoid the scenario bedknobs referred to above.

Even 'take for the rest of your natural' drugs should really be precribed month-by-month.

[EvianBaby]

Bednobs, I wondered why they only give such short supplies. I get my Dads tablets for him that he'll be on for the rest of his life and I always think to myself I wish they'd give more than just a months worth but I suppose that's a fair enough reason not to.

Thanks for the reminder. I'm sure he'd only think about it at 9pm on xmas eve.

[wolf63]

I get four weeks worth of some drugs (Lithium and something else) but I get about three months worth of the others. I got a carrier bag worth at the chemist yesterday.

[cupid04]

If we give our doctors surgery 48 hours notice, you can drop your prescription
in at the surgery or better still email! I get 2 months supply at a time. Our
doctors stopped the 3 months supply several years ago.

[China Doll]

Is it different rules for the pill? I get a years supply every time I go for a repeat prescription, it's wonderful service :c)

[jno]

mine are all two months; it used to be one but I asked them to make it two when I was away for a while last year, and they never put it back. Makes sense to me, I have to go and pick up the prescription less often. And I don't pay for them anyway.

[sunny-dave]

Yep - pill is 12 months usually - renewed with MoT

[sprayermick]

It is quite standard now to order 3 months at a time, there is a box you can tick at the top of the prescription, they do not give you 3 months suppy of pills personally as I understand it the whole suppy is issued and held in stock for you by the issuing pharmacy you then just visit the pharmacy when running low and not the doctor.

[sunny-dave]

Technically that is a series of one month repeats - with the pharmacy holding the scripts until needed.

Many/most pharmacies offer some sort of repeat/collect/deliver service these days

[sprayermick]

That should read suppLy not suppy

[anneasquith]

sandy. dont you be croaking it before you use up your 3 months supply ! unfortunately our surgery only supplies drugs monthly, which is understandable, but if we are using medication for (life) ie statins your system sounds much more sensible.

[fbg40]

Sunny Dave
I have a "Managed Repeat Prescription" whereby I get 6 months scripts twice a year, that I then hand to the pharmacy. I get 2 months supply at a time for BP and cholesterol - i.e. 3 prescriptions per 6 months.
FBG40

[murraymints]

we don't pay for prescriptions in Scotland....

[sunny-dave]

All of which seems to prove that the N in NHS doesn't really mean it's the same everywhere ...

... and actually that's a good thing in many ways (different ways of working suit different population groups), but it makes it a nightmare to offer advice in this sort of forum :)

[atsgran]

I'm on a statin and I get 3 months at a time as well, I'm in Scotland