OT: Online prescriptions. Better than Boots?

[T i m]

A while back (start of Covid) I asked here about experiences re online prescription deliveries and started using the Boots service because:

1) They were our local / normal pharmacist.

2) Someone suggested they used them and they had been fine.

I think I also remember someone saying they were hopeless and I think I may now be leaning that way. ;-(

However, it may be down to expectation so I just wanted to check here.

Assuming I don't have the full login to the medical system (I think I'm supposed to present my photo ID at my doctors to get 'signed up' and as I don't have any I didn't take that any further ...) I may have only been able to 'request' Boots online fulfil my prescription by requesting authority from my doctor?

Now, they have been sending them though monthly (just 1 box x 5mG Amlodopine) but it seems I have to 'request' them monthly, not what I thought I was going to have to do.

Unfortunately their email-reminder ends up in my spam folder so unless I check I can miss the reminder and run out.

So, can anyone confirm if I should be able to get at least say 1 years worth of prescriptions delivered (monthly presumably) *without* having to keep requesting them please?

Boots Online customer service seem worse than useless. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

p.s. And why the fcuk do they have to put the box of tablets, in a plastic bag, in a box ... so big that won't go though the fairly large letter box. And her Paracetamols must be dispatched by Amazon in boxes big enough for a pair of shoes! ;-(

[Chris Green]

I think that's the way it works, I assume there are government/NHS guidelines that say doctors can't prescribe for more than a month at a time.

Don't you notice you only have (say) a week's worth left? That's how I get reminded - when there's only 7 pills left I get on-line and order more.

I think you're not going to get what you want!

[T i m]

You may be right Chris (crazy though it seems (and especially considering the cost (time / additional packaging) 'mail order') in these circumstances). ;-(

I guess I could 'take closer notice' of that and sort of do yes ()so haven't *actually* gone without yet). I think is that I thought (believe I was told) that I could sign up to an online-pharmacy and 'just' be sent them every <interval>? After all, they have a pulldown on the online site (that it seems to have to go to, every month) asking when you would like the next reminder and I thought that would be something I could do the once? Don't change it unless things change sorta thing?

Yes, from this and the other replies I think you may be right. ;-(

As I am back to doing the shopping and thinking of all the 'waste' (postage costs and packaging) this online service seems to generate, I might just go back to collecting it in person. ;-(

And there was me thinking it was 2021. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yes Boots now charge to deliver, even to little old ladies as far as I can see none of them seem to be any good at getting the repeats in in good time local or postal. I have moved to a local independent pharmacy, who at least you can talk t and get some sense. Brian

[T i m]

Do you mean 'from the local branch' or their / the central distribution system?

This big old man isn't being charged?

To be fair, they have been good as far as that goes, as long as I have jumped though the hoops I didn't think I would need to. Even when I've missed their reminder text and left it to the last second, they have got here with a couple of days?

Well there is that and something I might go back to.

Cheers, T i m

[Steve Walker]

I got mine up to every 2 months some years ago, simply by telling the GP that I was working away a lot and it was difficult for me to get there to pick up the prescription.

They can go up to 3 months.

When you have numerous boxes of meds, its very easy to think that you still have another box of a particular one.

Of course he can, he just needs to speak to his local pharmacy and they can arrange delivery and arrange a repeat prescription request to the GP each month. That's exactly what we do with our meds.

[Dave Plowman (News]

My GP told me the maximum she can prescribe (for my blood pressure tablets) is a two month's supply.

Could be to do with shelf life. And to prevent waste. If someone stops needing the prescription [if only by dying ;-) ] or it has to be changed.

I registered with EMIS patient access - the one promoted at my surgery. Don't remember it being a problem to register, and I can order repeat prescriptions easily online. Never bothered having them delivered - I just collect from my local nominated chemist.

[Theo]

We used to be with a dispensing practice, where the pharmacy was physically part of the GP surgery (no actual pharmacy shops for miles around). The pharmacist would do double duty as the GP receptionist when short staffed. The GP would prescribe something, and the pharmacist would have it ready by the time you'd walked the length of the corridor to the front desk :)

The current one is a separate shop in the same building. I note the number for the prescribing person at the GP practice is at the top of the pharmacists' whiteboard, so the link is still fairly close.

In both cases they would still mess it up, often by the GP actioning the wrong repeats or something. But at least they were local to sort it out.

I think 'local' beats 'distant global megacorp' here :)

Theo

[Bob Eager]

I think 'it depends'. On, for example, how stable the patient's needs are, and whether they can be trusted not to overdose, etc.

For as long as I can remember, I've got 3 months at a time. As it happens, that includes amlodipine.

[tim...]

he means hand delivery from the local branch (a service that they used to offer free to qualifying customers). Not sticking it in a package for Royal Mail to deliver, which anybody can now get free (from other Pharmacists if Boots don't do it)

[T i m]

Very efficient. ;-)

We have several pharmacies within a 5 minute walk of several surgeries and I think they used to 'walk' the prescriptions round but they are now done electronically.

That is handy. Luckily, I'm only on the Amlodopine and she's on Paracetamols (that we can buy fairly cheaply in any case).

I'm beginning to think you are right.

As I say, we only went 'postal' because of Covid and given we have used Boots for *years* and know them all in there (and they know us which can be handy), I think I'll go back to them.

I'm not sure it helps them as such as we rarely buy anything else in there but I'm guessing they get some sort of cut / kickback for handling prescriptions, even when they are free to us?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

In this case it's just the same 5mg Amlodopine all the time (for ever presumably)?

Can you on Amlodopine? ;-)

Well that would be better as at least it would justify the packaging 'Pass the parcel' from Boots. ;-)

I get these things might have a shelf life and we might not last a whole year at a time but for something as mundane as a low dose blood pressure tablet I would have thought 3 month batches would be the minimum they would do?

Cheers, T i m

[Jeff Layman]

[Alan J. Wylie]

My local pharmacy has a man who drives round the local area delivering prescriptions.

I can phone them up and they are always very helpful.

Usually I get 4 weeks worth at a time. The manufacturer of the generic medication varies each time. One time there were 30 or so doses in a box: it had been opened and the blister pack cut so that I only got the usual 28. I can only assume that after a while someone is going to get a box full of offcuts.

[T i m]

Ok, well at least that halves the number of transactions required to get them.

Not in this case I don't think. On my latest pack of Amlodopine it says 07/2023.

Well, there is that but I think there is currently more 'waste' in the postal delivery method than (worst case) a years worth of unused tablets (assuming Amlodopine are cheap to produce etc).

Ah, but you may have been able to provide a photo ID? (And I really didn't want to visit the practice at the beginning of the lockdown).

"To register for our online services you will need to visit the practice, bringing with you two forms of identification. One of these items should include your photograph e.g. Passport or Driving Licence. The other should be recent and show your current address."

The strange thing is that I have been going there as long as the surgery has been there (so at least 40 years) and they accept my face and details as me when I go in there in normal circumstances?

Yeah, it looks like a handy feature (mostly for the other stuff as I have the EPS covered).

I've re-submitted my delivery order to see what happens. I thought I was reacting to their 'Time to re-request your prescription emails so it will be interesting to see what happens if it get's cancelled again.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

<snip>

As we did prior Covid and can't say we generally had any major issues. There was the odd time where the pharmacy was closed for lunch so if we weren't also shopping nearby we would walk home and go again another day or the odd 'not sure where it is did you put the prescription in' type thing but that was generally resolved pretty quickly. Not sure if the tin of chocolates we generally give them at xmyth helps but ... ;-)

Do you think they could survive dispensing 'free' medicines alone? I ask because we rarely *buy* anything from them, even though they sell a fair range of products (it's a reasonably big branch).

We probably have 5 pharmacies within a 1 minute walk between them so if any one went the others would pick up the slack.

If all but one went the chances are the remaining one would be unlikely to go. ;-)

Ah, I rarely do (my prescription is very simple and not immediately life threatening (low dose blood pressure tablets) but the Mrs might check if she's added some of the 'extra' stuff she needs now and again.

Makes sense.

That must make things more complicated (having to check for such stuff). I / we never have AFAIR. The right chemical formulation / drug yes, not the other things (because they probably aren't time limited

*anyway*)?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

I think I have seen such round here but not sure if it's only for special customers and if it's a volunteer type service?

It's nearly as quick to walk to ours. ;-)

Same here but time seems to fly and given they seem to have a long shelf life and are likely less cost for one years worth than some meds are for one dose ... ?

Unless the box looks different when I might check it's the right stuff, I don't generally check. She might though.

LOL!

Again, given many 'routine' "You probably don't need these but they can offer other protection / benefits so you might as well keep taking them' things are probably pretty cheap ... and given there are often more than 28 days in a month ...(if you are given 'a months worth') and given you sometimes drop / lose them, a few spares wouldn't go amiss and again, when taken for non 'life critical' situations, much less administrative load on the doctors / chemists if they gave say 3 months worth (minimum)?

I mean there could be a list of cheap, long shelf life (where they would all still be in date by the time you got round to taking them), drugs that could be dispensed to people who weren't predicted to not last the year in bigger batches to save money and time. It could be that even 2 'human interactions' re prescribing and dispensing a tablet cost more than a whole years worth of tablets?

And they could even make a box of tablets that contained a years worth, rather than having to have 12 packets etc?

I would be the one who got the years worth of 'offcuts' though (and wouldn't care). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Plowman (News]

Before using the web service, I could just phone my surgery for a repeat prescription (but of course phones can be busy) or email them. And they sent the prescription (electronically, I'd guess) to the chemist of my choice. Which they kept on file as my preferred one.

[tim...]

before using what web service?

an online delivery company?

which is as it still is.

the online delivery company are now your preferred chemist

[Bob Eager]

He mentioned EMIS - a web interface used by a lot of GPs. It's part of an integrated IT system for general practice. It allows you to book appointments, get prescriptions, etc. I use mine quite a bit.