Wtf is going on with pharmacies

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I remember a time when you would go to the doctor, or put a repeat prescription request in, get a green bit of paper, take it to a chemist and get your medication after a short wait.

My previous pharmacy was taking 3+ days to dispense medication so I moved to one that seemed a bit quieter.

This one is now telling me it's going to be at least 24 hours. And it's been sent electronically so unless I want a load of piss arsing about asking for it to be released and queuing up for a receipt to get it elsewhere, I just have to wait.

I have a raging infection that I need antibiotics for I can't understand why it's taking days to get medication. I don't even mind them saying come back in a couple of hours, but several days is surely taking the piss?!

I know.

I have pretty severe bronchitis and have also badly damaged a muscle in my abdomen because of the ridiculous cough.

I was waiting for strong pain killers, steroids, antibiotics and an inhaler and could barely speak through coughing but it was still a case of computer says no.

That's not normal. A pharmacy should stock antibiotics for you to pick up the same day. Most we have to wait is 30 mins

My sympathies. I had exactly the same (even the same prescription) last month. It felt like the chest would never clear but I did come out the other side eventually (after a second set of stronger antibiotics)

My son was discharged with prescription for urgent meds. Meningitis. His wife drove round for two hours. In the end she phoned 111 who were wonderful organised a pharmacist who had the meds waiting for her.

Why didn’t the hospital pharmacy dispense? That’s usual on discharge.

I work for a well known store with a pharmacy (don't work in that area myself though).

Service is generally taking longer, partyly to hours cut by head office, but also more and more services expected now carrying out some services for GPs. The prime reason though is lack of staff - no one wants to work in the area - they are regularly on the receiving end of rude (regularly being sworn or shouted at), demanding customers - the manager and security are called to the area more than anywhere else in store). Pharmacists aren't staying in the job, so we're reliant on locums (who are regularly late, but all we can get so better than nothing). Also, 90% of our staff who've trained to dispense drugs, stay in the jobs for months due to the above comments and go back to working in other areas on the shop floor.

For short course medications Tesco here dispense immediately, it's only routine repeat prescriptions you are meant to wait 24 hours

Regular repeat prescriptions I can see needing 24 hours, you ask for them in advance and have them in time for when they are needed. But Antibiotics should be dispensed immediately. You can't ask someone with an infection to wait 24 hours, that madness.
I've recently discovered for one off prescriptions like Antibiotics I now use Asda they are fast and really friendly and get the job done. If I'm not near Asda, Morrisons are really fast with one offs too.

A lot of the costs of the drugs aren't covered by NHS ie pharmacy buys drugs in at £3, NHS pays pharmacy £2. As such lower staffing levels. The money is in the pharmacist consultant service now.

You can report the pharmacy to the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council) both for the service you are receiving and the lack of contact with them switching the phone off. They should be dispensing your antibiotics for you straight away. Repeat prescriptions for non-urgent meds are the ones that you would expect for them to leave for a few days before dispensing but not acute GP prescriptions.

Reporting them isn't about grassing them in, it's more about making the GPhC aware that some pharmacies are struggling to provide the basic service of supplying medicines whilst taking on GP's work and other services.

Thats pretty shit, my local pharmacy is amazing but the queues are insane since all the Lloyd’s closed down.

unfortunately they are under so much pressure with all the closures and appointments that the pharmacists have to do. Antibiotics should be started right away though, that’s really poor.

This is insane.
Our pharmacy is part of the surgery. If I do an online repeat request it takes 5 days.
Today I needed urgent codeine, doctor called me at 10.30, DH picked up the codeine 15 minutes later.

I think we might be so lucky, we have an amazing surgery where I was allocated a Dr call when I rang at 8.45 and this isn't unusual. And the pharmacy is amazing.

I have taken flowers in before now they are so fab.

Ten working days for repeat prescriptions at my surgery too. It's a joke.

Not mine, had a prescription for antibiotics sent to them yesterday at around 3.30 pm. Popped in on my way home at about 5.30 fully expecting it not to be there/ready. Waited 5 minutes and got my antibiotics.

My prescriptions seven day order. Two were still not in stock so was asked to come back the following day. This happens every month so I now hoard a bit. I know that's wrong but some I can't do without.

On the other hand our pharmacy runs inside the surgery so if GP prescribed on a visit you just sit and wait for it

Glad you got what you needed eventually Op.

In my local town there are two pharmacies. One took ages and prescriptions wouldn't be filled for 2 days. On the occasion you went in needing antibiotics or similar you would be told to "come back after 4pm"

Very frustrating especially as it's usually me going for my kids stuff and they are in discomfort.

I started using the other chemist across the road and have never waited more than 20 minutes for a prescription on the busiest of days. Most days it's less than 10. It's busier than the other one so i don't understand it. On the odd occasion something has been sent electronically they just find it on the computer and make it there and then. Rarely stock issues and if there is a suitable alternative is offered.

They even go as far to offer to include painkillers on the minor ailments/pharmacy first system (Scotland) if they see it's an antibiotic prescription as usually pain is associated like tonsillitis etc. they are so pro active and the difference is unreal.

Brexit

Shortages of pharmacists

The government encouraging people to “ask their pharmacist” due to a shortage of GPs

So Tory Britain basically!

Also, polypharmacy - where older people are prescribed lots of different medicines, which take time for the pharmacist to dispense and can cause shortages, particularly if the pharmacy dispenses for one or more care homes.

Would be really interesting to ask them why such a massive difference.

Yes for repeat prescriptions.

If your GP is taking up to 48 hours to issue an acute medication script for antibiotics I think I'd be looking at changing to a different GP.

The only time there should be a delay on an acute (rather than repeat) prescription is because a) the pharmacist cant get the stock (thanks Brexit) or you are signed up to something like Pharmacy2U so the script is sent to them for them to process and post. Most acute meds are sent directly to the pharmacist electronically (and then the pharmacist tells the patient they cant get it and sends them back to the GP for an alternative but doesn't tell them what they can get so the GP does another script for something that the pharmacist cant get and round and round you go). I have never known such a shortage of meds since Brexit, other than at the start of Covid when patients were trying to stock up on their meds.

how can you buy prescription meds?

My daughter recently needed one specific antibiotic for an infection, in liquid form as she's 3. None of my local pharmacies stocked it and when asked they all seemed surprised as it is apparently very expensive. I had to travel 45 minutes each way with my very poorly daughter to get it. I couldn't understand why the pharmacies were commenting on cost but perhaps this is why.

I work at a GP.

Repeat scripts we suggest order a week in advance. We can then send to the chemist for collection so you shouldn't run out.

Acute scripts can be sent immediately to pharmacy or printed on a green slip. Acute scripts should be dispensed while you wait. If your pharmacy isn't doing this, either ask GP for a green slip while you're at the app, or check with pharmacy first.

It is much easier for a pharmacy to cancel the script before it's sent to spine (eg. Before they "cash" it) so if they don't offer same day, tell them to return the script to GP or fax to another pharmacy.

111 has access to summary records only, they can issue emergency scripts for repeat medication. They can't issue scripts for acute meds like antibiotics unless you have a consultation.

That’s not ok. Fine for repeats but for an acute infection the GP should get the prescription to the chemist straight away. The pharmacy should then have it sorted that day. My GP is a massive health centre with pharmacy attached. Many items are processed in a hub somewhere.

If I have an emergency phone appt, they tell me they’ve sent the prescription while I’m on the phone. If it’s in person, they’ll either send it straight through and I’ll go sit in the pharmacist to wait for it, or I ask the GP to print off a hard copy and take it in there myself, just to make sure they have it then and there. I’d definitely make a complaint . Acute infections absolutely shouldn’t be left untreated for days. I hope you soon feel lots better OP. That’s pretty shocking.

But that isn't a new thing though is it? We've always had older people with lots of different medicines, and care homes. In any case, don't the robots do that job now? If the robots are dispensing the medication, what are the pharmacists doing?