Been summoned to doctors with symptoms of cold!

[Caramelblonde]

Hi there,thoughts on this please.Doctor is withholding my repeat prescription unless I go to surgery today for review.I have cold symptoms,auto immune disease and run out of meds now.

Why would a cold stop you attending the review?

I have to go to see my GP at least every year for a review of my medications before they will be reissued so I wonder if it a requirement they are bound by. Have you asked if you can have a phone appointment?

What’s the problem?

Doctors aren’t allowed to issue repeat prescriptions in certain situations without a review.

That's a bit rubbish.

My experience of repeat prescriptions is that there are often delays (GP issues, pharmacies being out of stock) and so I always put in the repeat request when I am down to a 1 week supply, or sooner.

The easiest way to get what you need is to comply though. I hope given your situation they can give you a same-day appointment!

I don’t think they should hold a repeat at no notice

I also don’t think now is the time to encourage non essential trips to surgery

Is there more info here, OP?

Phone appointment ?

I’d phone and ask them if they’re sure they want you to come in as you have a dry cough, temperature and shortness of breath.

When this happened to me, pharmacy had lost the repeat script and I had a phone consultation with Dr who gave me enough to get through til I could get in.

I was flying out on holiday and she gave me a new appointment and something like a week's medication.

Current advice is not to go near doctors or hospital with cold symptoms because of corona virus.They are refusing phone appointment.Immune suppressed should not be going to Gp surgery just for meds review .

I thought the advice was only not to go to the surgery if you have signs of corona, not the common cold?

@AutumnRose1Exactly,yet they are not letting me have meds today .Have appointment at 11.30.Going to report them to someone as I'm sure this is not right!

I’d ask them to confirm in writing that they are saying you must attend the surgery to access your essential medication despite being immunosuppressed and despite having cold/flu symptoms.

@Nicknacky Symptoms are the same in the beginning,some people don't know they have coronavirus

Medication reviews are standard. Unless you have recently travelled to somewhere high risk or been in contact with someone then your being daft.

How good of the gp to manage to fit you in at short notice for a review!

@Floribundance Good thinking,I'm not overreacting here.It's not essential to go .

If you think you have Coronavirus then tell the doctor than that.

Not essential

OP do you normally get it in automatic renewal? Why does the GP think they need to see you in person?

What are cold symptoms? Don't you either have a cold or not?

Unless you have a previous reason not to trust that your GP knows your condition and abides by health guidance I'd go. Won't any alternative action just delay getting your meds and cause even more stress on the system.

Coronavirus symptoms are not the same as those for a cold. A runny nose is not a CV symptom. Did you start with a fever, develop a dry cough and now have a sore throat?

I can't talk as I'm terrible at requesting my own repeats, but this is why it's important to get repeat requests on with plenty of time. My pharmacy has refused to fill my prescriptions before as i should have had a GP review first. I'll learn, one day!

Is the prescription for a controlled drug?

Depends. If you're on methotrexate and they've asked you loads of times but you still haven't had your bloods then perfectly reasonable. If something less serious then maybe overkill, but generally we only do this when a patient doesn't come in despite several requests and it's a safety issue.

I'm on the pill and have to go once a year for weight and BP. Have you had absolutely no notice of this? I usually get a note on my prescription to make an appointment before I order my next prescription so have over a month to make the appointment.