Surgery rant

[firewatch]

Sorry in advance, had an awful day of playing chase my tail!
Last tuesday I put my prescription in for repeat and left it two days before I popped into the pharmacy to see if it was ready-nope ok so i thought i will leave it till monday, surely they would have it then! No
Phoned Today as its been a week, and I needed my tablets as I have run out, no pharmacy still hadnt had it, they would ask whilst they where collecting todays. Phone again an hour later, still no prescription and it had been lost in surgery as the dr had signed it but after that it had disapeared. Walked up to the surgery and sat and waited till i spoke to a human being, and got abrubtly told to basically bugger off. The surgery was dead and they standing around laughing there heads off. Not happy, the receptionist said she would sort it by the time she left at three,ten past three I get a phone call saying a new prescription was ready for me to collect. Considering I have not slept since I ran out and feeling pretty ropey I am a little more than annoyed! I am in wales where do i complain to as this is the third or fourth time I have had to wait a week to get a prescription!

[ummmm]

I think you'll have to write a letter of complaint to the practise manager.

If they regularly take that long, can you not order your prescription earlier?

[Psybbo]

Same has happened to me twice now. I re-order 2 weeks before I run out so there's time to get it sorted

[Hopkirk]

Is it worth taking your prescription to a High Street pharmacy in future?

[firewatch]

i have to see my dr any way next week, so will let her know whats been happening i only use the one pharmacy as the people in there know me pretty well by now as they are the closest to my house. I order a good week/week and a half in advance normally but it still happens!

[Hymie]

Never use a pharmacy repeat prescription service for this reason.

Get the prescription from your surgery (check that it has been issued correctly) and take it personally to the chemist (pharmacy).

Every once in a while, submit the repeat prescription after 3 weeks rather than 4 – and build up a personal stock/reserve.

Currently I have well over two months supply of my medication – No Rants!!!!!

[firewatch]

thanks hymie i might have to do that x

[boxtops]

If you are are regular medication (which the pharmacy should know), the pharmacy can give you an emergency supply while you are waiting for a prescription. You need to start asking for a repeat a week or so before you need it.

Make a fuss, you can put in a formal written complaint to the practice manager - they have to acknowledge it, so they can examine their procedures - every GP practice has to have a complaints procedure these days.

[firewatch]

this is it, i am an AMSPAR (Association of Medical Secretaries Practice managers Administrators and Receptionists ) qualified med sec/receptionist, and know this SHOULD not happen under any circumstance!

[bednobs]

any process that involves people is liable to fail occasionally

[boxtops]

Crumbs firewatch - I didn't know that, so yes, you understand fully how it should be! (Good qualification, that)

[firewatch]

it is when you can get the work! round here you have to work for the health board already to get a look in

[boxtops]

It's still the preferred qualification for general practice round here, although we don't have a local AMSPAR training provider at the moment - BSMSA have a good on-line qualification now, too.

[firewatch]

I qualified in 07 but keep myself up to date as much as possible with modern practice techniques, my surgery puts the whole profession to shame!

[maggiebee]

I would write to the Practise Manager.

[boxtops]

I still think you should complain - mind, if you are in Scotland, I don't know about the complaints process up there, I only know the England/Wales process.

[bednobs]

because someone mislaid your prescription????

[ummmm]

Tad harsh.