Pharmacist

[JennyLindsay]

I got a call from a pharmacist yesterday, telling me that one of my medications was on back-order, and that he'd called my doctor and requested my doctor change the medication for an alternative, but 'unfortunately' the doctor refused, saying he'd rather see me in person to discuss it.

I was quite surprised - is it appropriate for a pharmacist to call my doctor and request a change to my medication/treatment plan without first speaking to me? I most certainly do NOT want to change medications - I'd rather change pharmacies to find the medication in stock.

is this normal practice? I would have expected the pharmacist to talk to me first, not just decide to call my doctor and ask for a change to my treatment .

[Theycallmemellowjello]

I would presume he'd asked so he could let you know that he doesn't have your usual medication in stock but can offer you an alternative. That seems fine to me, nothing to worry about at all.

[LaurieFairyCake]

It won't just be on back order at one pharmacy, it will be unavailable at lots of places due to no stock, withdrawal, or re formulation

[softhedgehog]

I'm a GP and the pharmacist will sometimes let me know that cream x is out of stock and do I want to prescribe cream y instead - if they are very similar then I do and the pharmacist discusses it with the patient. This is very common and usually it's just a manufacturing issue.

[littlegreen66]

YAB a bit U. it's the pharmacist's professional responsibility to clarify prescriptions with the GP and to try to get you medicines in a timely manner.

Without knowing the specifics it's impossible to comment, but if the pharmacist is just suggesting substitution with a generic (same medicine, different brand) this is usually not controversial, but brand changes do matter for some medicines and some people. Alternatively, if it's for a different medicine altogether this may be because there's a supply problem that's affecting not just your pharmacy but others as well.

Hope you get your meds in time, whatever the issue.

[JennyLindsay]

Thanks everyone, that makes sense. I'll speak to the doctor next week and figure out what to do, since evidently he did not agree that the substitution was an appropriate plan for me.

[FunkyPeacock]

Quite normal and appropriate for a Pharmacist to discuss with the prescribing GP if a medication is unavailable for some reason. The prescriber can then consider alternatives before you are contacted. You should still be offered the option of trying to obtain the medication from another Pharmacy though.