The queue at Boots to collect our prescriptions are often very long and it seems silly to bother to do that when they could probably be delivered to us.
I understand that some places are having some stuff delivered by volunteers but I saw an advert on TV the other day suggesting they could supply and deliver by post what we are prescribed?
Anyone here using such a service please and are there any gotchas?
Ideally we would like to have the option to override what we get each time to avoid wasting NHS resources but even if not, nothing we have is actually life saving / expensive (amlodipine / statins etc).
I use Pharmacy2u which works fine, they send me an email reminder each month. The single packet of pills is small enough to go through the letter box. I eventually persuaded SHMBO to do the same. The perscription is always correct but the product brand tends to vary. If you are in a great hurry Pharmacy2u can send you an email which contians a code which a pharmacy can use to give you the pills. They will send an English perscription to an address in Wales. I am old enough for perscriptions to be free. There is no charge for the postage. Boots have a similar system which left me unimpressed.
Or find a pharmacy that doesn't have such long queues and use them? We order via the surgery's (third party) web access wait a couple of days then collect from the surgery. I think there is an option to say where you want to collect but as there is only one other phramacy within 15 miles...
Don't you have to hand in (or select online) the repeat prescription form that comes with your last prescription suitably marked for the things you want?
If you don't mind which make of medicines you get, they can work well. (I am in contact with lots of people who use such services.)
But the medicine I take is one which most people like to keep on the same make all the time. I always check what will be supplied when handing in my presceiption and what has been supplied when collecting it. (Not that I ever have to wait more than a few minutes.)
Pharmacies can be less than wonderful at observing requests such as "This Make ONLY".
And, if the pharmacy doesn't have what I want, I need to be able to go round the other pharmacies in the area to find what I want. Again a problem for any of the delivery services.
They may be the one I saw advertised the other day?
That should be the same for us.
I don't think that would affect us as long as the ingredients were the same?
Handy in an emergency and under 'normal circumstances'.
;-)
As are we.
That was one of my other questions, thanks.
I did ask 'do you deliver' when we phoned them today and they said 'no' so I took that to mean they didn't, either locally as a branch or Nationally as a Company? I asked because daughter had tried several times when passing to pick up our prescriptions and there was either a massive queue or closed. The Mrs tried them herself today (the first time out shopping since the lockdown) and again, they were closed.
Sainsbury's were both open and empty so she popped in and bought some coffee, paid with cash (it seems that although she's facing the TV and it's telling us how to protect ourselves (like using contactless) it's doesn't go in. ;-(
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<checks in paper recycling>, the bag I have here only covers their collection service, eye / hearing tests, helping with cancer and performance feedback? ;-(
If we are going away from what we have used for years we might as well go to another system that's even easier?
I think we have quite a few but short of trying any of them at regular intervals to see what their queues are like for when we may happen to go there, I'm not sure we *will* be better off?
We have only just gone electronic on this so I'm not sure. Yes, we used to put the repeat prescription in when we needed it but given we take one tablet each every days and there are a set number of tablets in each pack / prescription, I see no reason why it couldn't be set up as routine?
The Mrs used to manage all that ... deciding when and what to put back in to Boots (it was the same for me every time), but now we are getting daughter to collect for us and she's often faced with a long queue (not so bad for me as they text me when mine are ready) but not so good for the Mrs when he's have been hung up for some reason.
So, I got her to apply for the 'online / repeat' service (you first register then apply for what you want off your prescription) but when she checked yesterday it hadn't registered for some reason.
But she's someone who Googles for something but doesn't always click on the link of the results so who knows why it didn't work. ;-(
We don't *typically* but we haven't had to since the lockdown.
Ok.
That has made me wonder if you could split the script ... have the routine stuff sent from an online supplier and the as / when stuff collected locally?
A mate has a similar relationship with his Doctor (not the Pub though). A service earned from spending many 'outside hours' fixing the Doctors IT kit etc. ;-)
The local branch might not but they do have a National Service
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Cant be used for controlled or refrigerated drugs but I have been using it since lockdown for statins.
If you are not already registered electronically (as I guess is the case from what you have said elsewhere) You fill out your details (Name address, doctor etc) when you register, then tell them what you want from a pick list, they electronically contact your doctor, doctor gives approval, drugs posted from central depot.
The top line of the web site talks about Connect to your GP but this is not mandatory see -
Want to order without connecting to your GP?
No problem! You can still use the Boots Online Repeat Prescription service to order your medicine.
My local, independent, pharmacy has always had a delivery service. I never bothered to use it. However, my last prescription was delivered to my door as they are now delivering all prescriptions, to avoid people coming into the pharmacy itself. I order using the surgery's online system, which allows me to choose what I want to order and also to make additional requests.
It might be worth asking them or checking the website because the packaging I got one prescription in from a tiny Boots definitely had "Free home delivery" as one of the options. It might be worth checking if your store offers it or if another does. I think it is national:
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I pick up regular repeat prescriptions from different dispensers for various people who are sheltering during the isolation period. Mostly from our own doctors who has a dispensing pharmacy attached but the odd one is not with the same practice. Hence from Boots.
That's all we mainly want it for. Just the very routine stuff, so as long as they get that delivered before the last lot run out, we will be happy. ;-)
Not fully registered Chris. Not done the bit where you take acceptable proof of identity (that we generally don't have (eg, photo ID, photo driving licence or passport) and can then do stuff online, but we have done the 'request repeat prescription electronically and nominate a pharmacy' one.
Cool.
To try to expedite the Mrs's prescription we contacted the doctor surgery by phone and they gave us a 'special' email address where we could request anything that was already on a prescription to be sent to a pharmacy quickly. I think we got a notification that it was done that day and a text from Boots the next day saying it was ready for collection. For now it's just a matter of going there and collecting it ...
So, can you confirm if there is the provision to say have the basic / regular letterbox sized things sent by post but leaving the bigger items (tubs of cream etc) to be collected locally?
It might be just as bad to have to queue up outside the sorting office, just to get the things we need more urgently? ;-(
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