OT:prescriptions

alan_m formulated on Tuesday :

But so much less likely to go wrong, than a human/ paper trail system.

It might depend on which country you are in. Wales, Scotand, NI and England have significant differences.

I am just about to put in a repeat prescription request.

My prescriptions no longer print details so you can tick a box. They have for some time strongly encouraged online ordering.

Even then, though, they have allowed me to pick up the paper prescription rather than sent electronically to a pharmacy.

I have always done this because, for the medicine I take, there are five Marketing Authorisation Holders in the UK. Although it is claimed all their products are equivalent, they are not. One make causes stomach pain. I need two different tablet dosages to make up my dose. My chances of getting a combination of makes that works for me from a single pharmacy are very low. Hence wanting the paper so I can traipse round local pharmacies as needed. Or even pop it into an envelope and get the medicine posted to me.

I am not looking forward to this...

Given the prescription would be simply a copy and paste of the original, why?

I can email my surgery - or phone them up - to ask for a repeat prescription. I doubt that could be fully automated. But if I ask via the website, likely.

course it wasn't in a plain wrapper

it was in the normal bag that the pharmacist dispenses with the person name on the outside and easily openable so that I could see what's inside

I wasn't suggesting otherwise

tim

My previous surgery made a very serious data-protection breach. Enclosed with each set of tablets that I pick up is a printed "receipt" which consists of two pages: a name and address on one page, and the medicine names on another sheet.

On one occasion, they enclosed the name and address page (but not the medicine names) for another patient, in addition to the one for me. I rang the surgery immediately and spoke to the practice manager, so they could review their handling processes to make sure they only every enclosed details for the patient whose tablets they were dispensing. No point in making an official complaint and getting someone bollocked, but it's as well to make sure they are aware of it so they take more care in the future.

If they'd also enclosed the second page, listing the medicines that had been prescribed for the other patient, it could have been a lot worse - I could have revealed what medical condition the other patient was suffering from... if I'd been so-minded, which I would never do, no matter how "famous" the patient happened to be.

My mum worked in a hospital pharmacy and occasionally saw people who were household names, and the drugs that had been prescribed for them - but she would never reveal any names or details, obviously, because she was in a position of trust.

I recently received a hospital appointment with page two being the appointment details for AN Other

I posted it on to him in a plain envelope (so not the standard "NHS" one he might expect)

I have previously received a CC statement (not from the hospital obviously) with a second page being someone else's CC statement

That was before I had a conscience, so I binned it

tim

I related on here how my CC was blocked, solely as a result of a statement going astray in the post. The numpty through whose letterbox it was wrongly posted probably put "not known at this address" on the envelope (with my address still on the envelope) without adding their own address.

Since which time, to avoid a repetition I've opted for online statements.

michael adams

...

I've had that a couple of times - I think - the banks don't keep the envelopes.

I suppose "not known at this address" is strictly true, if "this address" is where it was (wrongly) delivered. Just not as useful as writing, "wrongly delivered" and putting it back in the post box to be delivered correctly.

I had a bank statement addressed to the previous occupant. Somehow the bank had reverted his address to the previous one on file.

I took it in to my bank (same bank, which is why didn't pay any attention to the addressee name on the envelope) who were moderately apologetic. Freezing the account is probably the most effective way of forcing the customer to contact them.

Owain

It was no big deal as the CC was refused at a Sainsbury auto checkout and I always carry cash for similar eventualities. And was easily sorted out with a phone call.

However IIRR, I'd already asked for, and been sent a replacement. It had been paid off automatically by DD in any case*. Call that March. And I'm pretty sure the next month's April's statement had been recieved and was already paid off as well . Basically the lost March statement had ether been sat on someone's hall table, or travelling around the Barclaycard contractors offices in Leicester for over a month.

michael adams

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• Until this occurance and my decision to switch I couldn't see why I should be wasting printer ink and paper printing out stuff Barclaycard were providing for free along with spare envelopes. .