Pharmaceuticals and pharmacies

[giropaul]

In the last few months I am increasingly finding that items in my regular, monthly, prescriptions are unavailable. The response from the pharmacy is “ try again next week” .
For me, it’s inconvenient and damaging to my health. For many, parents especially, it’s traumatic.
We’ve been strongly encouraged to sign up to electronic prescriptions.
I’m informed that these are not portable. The only way to try another pharmacy is to go back to the doctor for a fresh, open prescription.
After 4 weeks infilled prescriptions automatically get returned to the doctor’s surgery.
I’m not entirely confident that this information from the pharmacy is strictly correct. Another pharmacist has told me that they can make infilled prescriptions portable.
“ unavailable “ and “ out of stock” are rapidly increasing situations. A bit of digging reveals that Brexit is causing issues as protocols for pharmaceuticals haven’t been properly planned.
It also seems that the big chain pharmacies have a policy of only buying from one supplier, where they have presumably an advantageous contract. They will not buy from other suppliers, even in cases of severe shortage. Increasingly I am also being given generic medications, not always with exactly the same code number.

Both Lloyds and Boots have recently been ( or are in the process of) sold to investment fund organisations.

Is this another part of the NHS under threat?

[Jaded]

I've switched to postal prescriptions. I stayed with our Lloyds as long as I could, but they were dreadful. Unfortunately the local one has just changed hands, a regional company, and I ought to support them...

I'd suggest asking your Surgery what postal pharmacies they support.

[slowfen]

Depressingly pharmacies are often tied to one supplier, which if they have run out of stock, the pharmacy are not allowed to try a different supplier.

If you have a paper prescription, it can be worth phoning a couple of different pharmacies to see if they have the meds

[MikeFromLFE]

Mrs M is on a lot of medication. Yesterday she came home from Boots with two carrier bags full!

She hasn't experienced shortages, but what she has noticed is that when she puts in her regular orders there can be a variable delay between the order to the GP and it being ready at Boots, and, occasionally it has been dispensed not by her local pharmacy, but by another Boots branch in a different part of the country (Cheshire has come up on the labels a couple of times).

Our GP does not seem to permit postal prescriptions (or didn't when I asked before lockdown) - but we feel its important to support local services even when provided by big business.

[L CC]

We nominated a pharmacy when we first had a prescription from our GP here. (Not a tough choice - there's only one in the village).
Neither of us have had any delays with anything.
For a repeat prescription I order from the GP online, and get a text a couple of days later that they're ready to collect.
For one off stuff, the GP says 'I've sent that straight to the pharmacy" & my tramadol is ready to collect 20 minutes later.

I'm not sure this would be so streamlined if I needed anything more obscure than my current mix of bog-standard-generic-medication.

Got my Covid booster there too- in and out in 15 minutes. Just one needle exchange in the queue ahead of me. (You could tell- he wasn't subtle. )

[mrcharly-YHT]

Different pharmacy 'chains' (boots, loyds) sometimes use different electronic systems. When you sign up, you nominate a specific pharmacy (so they can prepare your drugs and notify when ready).
If one branch of, say, Boots, doesn't have your drugs, they can check if they are in stock in another pharmacy.

I found Boots consistently reliable in this. 

Yes, Brexit has made supply chains more complex.

[T42]

We get a paper prescription from the doc and get it filled in whichever pharmacy we like.  That said, last month my bit of paper took a hike and the last bunch I went to simply printed it out again and filled it for me.

I've noticed that although none of my heart/diabetes stuff is ever scarce, Rennies are often out of stock.  Maybe there are more folk with nervous indigestion around these days.

[rogerzilla]

I've switched to postal prescriptions. I stayed with our Lloyds as long as I could, but they were dreadful. Unfortunately the local one has just changed hands, a regional company, and I ought to support them...

I'd suggest asking your Surgery what postal pharmacies they support.

Ironically, if you are in Swindon and you order weed, blow or crack from one of the helpful mobile numbers, a hoodie on an e-bike will reputedly deliver it in about 20 minutes.

[Regulator]

Local pharmacies in England have been stopped from re-ordering medicines on behalf of patients (something that benefited both patients and GP practices).  Patients are being 'encouraged' to transition to online re-ordering via the NHS app - where they can't they need to make a paper request via their surgery.

Funnily enough, online/postal pharmacies are not being prevented from making repeat prescription requests on behalf of patients... 

There are still medicines shortages, particularly those that are not manufactured in the UK.  Delays in getting stuff through UK ports seems to be the key issue, as Brexit-related back-ups lead to delays for processing cargo.

[Jaded]

I imagine that having stocks of drugs in a few (online supplier) locations rather than in 11,000 buildings would mean a more efficient use of stocks.

[Regulator]

I imagine that having stocks of drugs in a few (online supplier) locations rather than in 11,000 buildings would mean a more efficient use of stocks.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with certain of those online pharmacies being donors to various MPs and ministers...

[Jaded]

Whatever made you think that is a possibility! 

[robgul]

You are allowed to have two "electronic" pharmacies - have to say I've no issues other than the GP surgery sometimes being a bit tardy in approving repeat prescriptions.

I'm "all electronic" with :
- one specialist supplier for post-cancer related supplies - online order, takes about 10 days to arrive - I just need to keep on top of my stock and order in time . .  and keep an emergency buffer
- pharmacy attached to (and owned by) the GP surgery - 5 regular items, online order to the pharmacy who then get approval from the surgery . . . and deliver to my door usually in no more than 3 days (the delivery option was offered when I was pretty ill 8 years ago and has just carried on)

What I have found is that the pills I have are always from a random mix of brands/suppliers, with one exception never the same two months running.

[barakta]

I believe there's research that shows mixing and matching brands constantly is a known cause of confusion and reduced-adherence to taking meds properly in older and less medically-aware people. People tend to remember their meds by shape and colour, if this changes a lot, it confuses them.

Sadly the way NHS does meds doesn't incentivise any kind of consistency or taking anything other than reducing costs into account.

[giropaul]

It seems that my experience is becoming increasingly common.
The CEO of the Association of Multiple Pharmacies reported that customers are increasingly having to be turned away because of stock issues.
Apparently, there are issues with world production, but also NHS price caps are making it less attractive for manufacturers to supply to the U.K..
GPs are reporting concerns that suddenly stopping a patient’s medication can hav serious impacts.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

It seems that my experience is becoming increasingly common.
The CEO of the Association of Multiple Pharmacies reported that customers are increasingly having to be turned away because of stock issues.
Apparently, there are issues with world production, but also NHS price caps are making it less attractive for manufacturers to supply to the U.K..
GPs are reporting concerns that suddenly stopping a patient’s medication can hav serious impacts.

I understand that a couple of the US-based global pharma companies have struggled to reach agreement with the NHS over pricing and so have pulled out of the voluntary pricing arrangements.  This may be giving pharmacies issues with supply.   https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/business/nhs-drug-prices-steve-barclay-pharma-b2263699.html

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