Brilliant Boots Pharmacy Services - passing on advice

[Eve]

Thought I'd pass this one for anyone who has a lot of medication to take or cares for someone who does.

I get a pre-payment certificate (general - not just Boots) which saves me a fortune in paying for items separately.

http://www.npwr.org/index_files/prepayment.htm

Boots collect my prescriptions from my doctors and have them ready for me to pick up and are even going to ask my doctors to standardise the dates on my precriptions so they all match up and it's easier for collection.

http://www.boots.com/microsites/microsite_info _template.jsp?contentId=3130

They gave me a free medicines review with a pharmacist where they checked I knew what everything was for and how to take it and what not to take it with and gave me the chance to ask any questions.

I found a new service today - Boots Medisure - free and they put all your medicines in a blister pack with times and dates so you know what to take when.

http://www.boots.com/content/pdf/106066_BTS_Me disure_leaflet.pdf

Thought I'd pass it on in case it's help anyone else x

[bednobs]

hi Jenna, glad you find this useful. The medicines usage review you describe is available at other pharmacies too, you just have to ask about it.

You can pay for the yearly ppc via direct debit over 10 months (comes out at about 10 pounds per month)

most pharmacies do a prescription cllection service too, and some will even deliver to you - its in their interests!

IMHO The blister pack is ok for some people but you run into trouble when you dont know which tablets are which and you have less control over your tablets that way. slight problem also is that you have to carry the whole weeks or months tablets round with you if they are in a big blister pack.

It occurred to me the other day, are you in contact with anyone who you can chat things over with who has been through the same thing?? it can be useful

[Ethel]

My local chemist orders my prescriptions, collects them and delivers them to me, too. All at no charge. Boots certainly wouldn't as I am far too far away from a Boots chemist.

I like the look of the medisure, as I take 18 tablets a day, some once a day, some twice, some three times and one 5 times a day. I'll ask my chemist if he does anything similar.

[Eve]

Hi :) Thank you, as always for your advice, you've been a huge help.

Didn't realise you had to carry the whole lot with you, take meniere's meds 3x a day so would be a bit of a pain. May stick with my weekly pill thing for midday doses.

I had a chat with the doctor last week and admitted I was a bit confused about medication, what to take when and what not with and such. He said to write some questions down and come back so I'll do that.

I've now got a rhumatology nurse who is great and has been a big help!

Don't know anyone with the same problems really to talk things through with.

I figured I'd wait until gastro have done their bit as they think the arthritis maybe Crohns related as have bad tummy problems as well. The suflasalazine has really helped with that though and just got my enteric coated tabs today :).

I thought I'd try and find someone then but still waiting on a date for my camera scans at the mo. Used to be in a Meniere's forum but not for a while.

I will have a look as feeling a bit bombarded at the mo :)

[thingummyjig]

how nice of boots to give you a medicine use review! (they get paid �26 from the goverment to review each person!)

[bednobs]

lol that is true, and as i said, it is in their interest to get you to ge your medication from them. However, whatever their motives for an MUR, from a patient point of view it's a good service!

[gina32]

my dads chemist did all that as well, order, collect, deliver they were great and most times told him more or less what time they would deliver so that he didnt have to stay in all day waiting for them.

after he died i went to a chemist and asked them if they would take all the medication back, he was also on a large amount of tablets every day, and they said they would have to check it first to make sure they can! luckily they did but what happens if you have drugs that they wont take back, what are you supposed to do with them!!!

[Eve]

Good point, I have a load of tablets I don't need now I have my new ones. Can I take them back to the pharmacy as seems a waste to just chuck them

[Ethel]

Jenna, as I have to take such a lot of tablets throughout the day, I use those small pill bottles with an ordinary screw top lid.

I take my morning tablets when I get up, then spend 5 minutes putting the other tablets into the little bottles - each bottle clearly marked with the time - in my case 11.30, 2pm, 3pm, 6.30pm, 8pm and 10pm.

My mobile phone has an alarm function and it goes off at the right times. I just check I've got the right bottle before I take them. :)

If I'm out for the day, it is a bit of a nuisance having to carry so many bottles, but much better than carrying various big bottles and blister packs and trying to work out what I should be taking when. Those multi dispenser packs don't work for me, somehow.

[Eve]

I've got a little pill thing that I use, as you take less then 7 lots could you use a week one and do it for the times rather than the days of the week?

It looks like this...

http://www.auravita.com/products/aura/UNIC1249 0.asp?RefId=220&adid=UNIC12490

[Ethel]

That may be just the ticket. :)

[looobylooo]

just a little addition to your posts about Boots.
i took my prescription into my local Boots chemist last week, as i usually do, and when i got home i found theyd given me the wrong insulin pens!!
could have been verrrry dangerous if id not known and used them.
a bit naughty that me thinks.....