Prescriptions OT ish

It probably is anually in my case but I don't bother to keep track.

Here, the due date for a review (not often met) is printed on each prescription (both the paperwork and the medication cartons).

I'm on repeat prescription of rest-of-life medication following a heart attack and cardiac arrest 15 years ago.

I've never seen an actual prescription, as a piece of paper, because at all three doctors' practices (changed due to house moves) there is an in-house dispensary so the authorisation goes directly from GP to dispensary, and after I have ordered a new month of tablets using the Patient Access website, all I hear is a text from them a few days later saying "ready for collection". I get a "receipt" confirming what is included (tablet and dose). (*)

My present GP has a "cashpoint-like" machine on the outside wall (so you can use it when the practice is closed). You enter an authorisation code which they text you (different each time) and a minute later, after lots of whirring, the bag of tablets pops out.

(*) At a previous practice, I was once given a receipt for another patient's drugs, which told me her name and address and what medication she was on. *Very* bad :-( I played hell with them because it is a very clear breach of GDPR and of good pharmacy practice. When the pharmacist tried to play it down, I lodged an official complaint with the practice manager, saying "take this seriously or my next step will be to contact the GMC". I stressed that I didn't want to see anyone disciplined - mistakes can occur - but I did want them to take action (training, supervision, second-pair-of-eyes check) to make sure it never happened again. My mum had worked in hospital pharmacy for many years and she said that anyone who had given paperwork relating to a different patient would have been for the high-jump! She said that even qualified pharmacists asked for someone - even a "mere" technician - to check their work... just in case. That was in the days when prescriptions were handwritten in "doctor's handwriting" in Latin - "bds/tds" (bis/ter die sumendum) = 2/3 times a day, "qs" (quantum satis) = as much as is needed (eg instruction on an ointment "apply as much as you need to alleviate the symptoms")

Mate of mine's dad who was blind was killed quite literally in a nursing home when given a loony's meds in that nursing home

I didn't realise that those meds could kill someone

Not clear what happened to who handed the meds to the inmates

Golly. Someone hasn't got rodders in their kill file?

I haven't seen a post from him in years...