Should cost determine the treatment given for a condtion.

[Scruffmonster]

No, mine made the national headlines over housing arrangements.



Easy saying that, but try getting an appointment to see your GP so that the chemist can alter the treatment they are prepared to give. Not what is required for the condtion. Then take into consideration the time of year its happenning at.
A&E is a place I try to stay out off, too many visits over the years to various A&E's have left me knowing that those working in them have other, more important things to consider, than a person going in & asking for a new prescription. I don't think they'd even be able to do that. The most they've been able to give, over the years is what was brought in with me.

People on this forum have helped, so it can't be that insane. The GP is not where the problem was created. He prescribed a certain medication, a chemists took it upon themselves to say that they were not willing to provide what was prescribed. They would only supply the cheaper version, due to the cost to themselves. They refused to return the prescription, which the GP said they should in order to enable me to get it elsewhere.

Due to the fact that I'm working, I'm unable to stand outside, directing people elsewhere.

Don't be weak. if this is essential medication then NOTHING stands in the way of you getting it.

A&E
Doctors surgery
The Police

If you need the medication, get it. If the system is not helping a reasonable person, become an unreasonable one.

If you're not capable of doing that, ask a friend for help.

Good luck.

If you can't do that, and you're in London or nearby, I'll fix it.

 

[classic33]

Don't be weak. if this is essential medication then NOTHING stands in the way of you getting it.(1)

A&E
Doctors surgery
The Police

If you need the medication, get it. If the system is not helping a reasonable person, become an unreasonable one.

If you're not capable of doing that, ask a friend for help.(2)

Good luck.

If you can't do that, and you're in London or nearby, I'll fix it.(3)

1. The cost to those supplying the required treatment stands in the way.
2. More than capable of becoming an unreasonable person, but how does that help
3. No-where near London.

Its worth repeating, I feel, that an A&E department is not the place to seek medication. Also what they are able to supply is limited. Past experience has proved that part to me. Uncertain how I could expect the police to help. Local force denied ether attending an RTC, so I would'nt expect any help from them.

If I'm unable to get it & I end up in an A&E department due to it. I'll openly blame the people that denied it on cost grounds.

 

[lulubel]

Take an emergency appointment at the doctor's (they do still have them, don't they?) and don't leave until he's sorted it for you. He's the only person who can sort this, either by phoning the chemist and telling them either to give you the prescribed medication or give you your prescription back, or by giving you another prescription that you can take elsewhere.

There's nothing wrong with being reasonable, but there's a big difference between that and allowing people to walk all over you.

This is your health they're messing with!

Unless, of course, you're willing to risk your health to make a scene, which you last comment re: "blaming the people who denied it on cost grounds" might lead people to suspect.

 

[classic33]

Take an emergency appointment at the doctor's (they do still have them, don't they?) and don't leave until he's sorted it for you. He's the only person who can sort this, either by phoning the chemist and telling them either to give you the prescribed medication or give you your prescription back, or by giving you another prescription that you can take elsewhere.

There's nothing wrong with being reasonable, but there's a big difference between that and allowing people to walk all over you.

This is your health they're messing with!

Unless, of course, you're willing to risk your health to make a scene, which you last comment re: "blaming the people who denied it on cost grounds" might lead people to suspect.

Its not something I can afford to do. What was meant was simple, as you said its my health their messing with. I've been denied a prescribed medication, due to the cost to those providing it to me. I have a limited supply left, after that runs out I'm stuffed basically.
If I chose to stop taking the medication then there would be no-one but me to blame. However when the decision to withold that medication is done by a third party. I feel that I can justify laying the blame for any outcome of not being able to take it, firmly at their feet. The choice has been made for me, not by me.

The chemist has refused to hand back the prescription, because they have provided one item on it. The system does not allow for another to be issued so soon after the previous one was issued. I could climb the counter & start going through the paperwork, but where would that get me. It wouldn't get the prescription back.

 

[lulubel]

The choice has been made for me, not by me.

The chemist has refused to hand back the prescription, because they have provided one item on it. The system does not allow for another to be issued so soon after the previous one was issued.

Unless you've been back to your doctor and sat down with him, and explained everything that's gone on and asked him to sort it for you, the choice has not been made for you. You've made the choice to allow other people to decide what's going to be done about your health.

If your health is so unimportant to you that you're not prepared to do everything humanly possible to get the medication you need, I'm not really sure what else anyone can say.

 

[Saraya]

My sons neurologist helped us with this. He is taking Lamictal for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and had a breakthrough seizure the first time he had a generic Lamotrigine. She wrote to the Dr and said that while the active ingredient was the same, everything else it was cut was in different amounts and affected the way his body asorbed it. She stated that she wanted him on to be prescribed Lamictal and we've had no problems since.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It might be too late to help you now, I have only just seen this. I'm a moderately severe asthmatic (6-8 medications to control it) and have been resuscitated twice following major attacks. I have been where you are more than once with different medications.

You can choose not to collect a certain item on your prescription (get it crossed out on said prescription) and ask for another via repeat/see your GP/phone call to GP - write/explain down why for repeat etc. Ask for the same item to be prescribed again because you can not now collect it and a 2nd prescription issued for the same stuff in the same month. (I'm hoping this makes sense). I have had to do this 3 or 4 times over the last 20 years, once very recently and have had no issues - they can confirm it has not been collected if they want to. I think sometimes I am more afraid of what could be a problem than actually asking and seeing the outcome.

Ironically I have recently had the opposite problem from yourself. My pharmacist has asked for me to get an item taken over to the branded drug because it comes off patent at the end of this year, and they will no longer have control over avoiding some of the generic ones that I am having an allergic reaction to (an asthma medication containing dairy products!) Thankfully the pharmacist had seen the results of that generic tablet when I took them back, and actually wanted to get me an ambulance because I was so bad (I had cycled there on my way home from college and knew if I get cycling I could keep my asthma under control until I got stopped. I went back about a week later and they say the difference). I requested a telephone appointment with my GP, I have a low platelet count at the moment and know sitting in a packed Dr's surgery was only going to result in me catching something in time for Christmas which is not good news for my asthma, the Dr or anyone else. I though I was going to have major issues getting the item changed to the branded version, the entire phone call lasted less than 2 minutes and was sorted very easily.

If all else fails - you have A&E walk-in centres. Be completely honest with them, tell them you are scared of changing/can't change it/have had issues in the past when it has been changed/ whatever the truth is. They will help because they are the people at the A&E centres who see the outcomes each and everyday and they will help you avoid ending back there, no matter what it takes because they know how bad it can be, especially if it is an A&E department you have been admitted to in the past.

Best wishes from someone who has been there.

 

[classic33]

Response from Customer Care received today

Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:15:36 +0000
From:
To: classic33
Subject: Customer Care

"Dear Mr
Thank you for your email with your comments about our pharmacy.
I'm sorry to hear of your disappointment and appreciate your concerns.
Please could you detail the store location that dispenses your prescriptions, and I will then speak the matter over with the store manager.
Thank you for taking the trouble to contact us and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards


Customer Manager
Customer Care."

 

[classic33]

This is insane. If you really think that this forum can help more than walking back into the GP surgery and raising merry hell, you're insane.

As a first last resort, go to A&E and ask for a new prescription and get what you need.

Nobody here can help. You could have solved this by now. Be bold. Demand.

Then if you have time, stand outside the pharmacy and direct everyone who tries to go in, to the nearest alternative. It works.

"Well aware that there were some who said such help could not be given on a site such as this, you proved them wrong."

Part of a message left on the profile page of the person who gave that help, by pointing me in the direction of where to take my concerns. And thanks to that person, you'll know who you are.

If nothing else this thread has shown that you can ask a question & someone on here will know where to get the answer. To those who offerred their support thanks.


Footnote
Whilst the generic that was supplied on cost grounds is cheaper, the company supplying it has upped the price from 68p to over £16, for the same quantity of a cheaper drug.