OT: Superdrug and online prescriptions

My nominated GP.

Unles you are physically unable to leave the house they won't accept telephone ordering of prescriptions. Their original online system worked well, sending email reminders at teh appropriate time. This changed to "Patient Access" which worked up to a point until their new system was about to be installed. I still can't use patient access even though it is down on their website (with link) for ordering prescriptions. I had to register (not an easy process) and go through the "NHS app" to get my prescription, but it wouldn't let me have all items as one would only be orderable 3 days after I'd run out of other items. So extra visits will be necessary, extra work by GPs, and by pharmacists.

That didn't work during the week the system was being changed, and they were only accepting requests via teh box in the surgery. A little advance notice would have helped. They did post on faceache apparently but I don't do that.

Wow. After the usual childhood stuff, I have had four courses of antibiotics in total, and one of those was in Fiji and I had to buy them. I've never had anything else on prescription, ever.

why are so many people so hooked on them ?

Even the ones that are taken, end up going down to loo in part. Ladies 'pills' being a classic example.

Only a fool of a doctor would precribe them when they aren't useful.

They are stupid/ignorant enough to believe that they can fix all ailments.

The docs used to dish them out willy nilly though didn't they? And now people feel like they are being sold short if they are refused them.

I've had 1 course in as long as I can remember for a cold/sinus infection last year that just wouldn't quit and i'm not sure they made any difference (or whether it fully went away, I still have sniffy days and an occasional morning cough).

Patient Access is what my surgery uses, and has done for ages. Works just fine for repeat prescriptions here.

Our local pharmacy used to re-order our meds without any input from us. We just used to wander in and see if anything was waiting. Then they increased the number of staff and moved one guy to weekends only and the re-ordering ended - without any notification at all! It turned out that there was not an official system, just the one guy using any spare time to re-order. Now that he is weekends only, he doesn't have enough spare time ... and the rest of the staff can't understand how he managed to cope with it and so don't do it themselves.

A bit of warning might have been nice - my son had to put in an emergency request for his epilepsy medication, as the new staff hadn't re-ordered and he was due to go back to university the next day.

Here too - the Patient Access app is super easy to use and reliable, while the website is handy if I want to use my PC instead.

Just be aware that each practice decides which services to enable in Patient Access. E.g. mine doesn't use Messages; and used not to give everyone access to test results.

My practice actually states that access to test results may be restricted for some patients/conditions. I can see my test results as well as any doctor comments that may be included with them - which may only be "no further action required". The test results are linked to a NHS web facility which gives a brief explanation as to what they mean.

My practice will accept email and suggest this is used for non-urgent matters. They guarantee to reply within 3 working days.

move to Wales