GP refusing to dispense meds

[whyyyyyisitmonddayy]

I know I'm being unreasonable, I do. I need Norethisterone for an upcoming trip (three weeks worth) because the copper coil makes my endometriosis flare (I wasn't aware I had it until I had the coil fitted as an emergency -- and I can't stomach the thought of removing it because of how horrific the insertion was). So, for now at least, I'm planning on only having it removed when it expires. Yes, endo pain is awful, but the insertion was fucking evil and the thought of going through the removal makes me feel sick.

I'm going somewhere hot and sticky too, with lots of swimming etc so being on a ten day long period in the middle of a three week trip isn't ideal. So, I wanted Norethisterone again -- I've used it a handful of times in the last few years, GP dispensed it every time, no complaints.

Online GP forms wouldn't load so I rang up, asked. Reception said "use the form. I'm not putting it through for you!" I work in hospitality, so I understand the stress of dealing with the public... but is it not their job to put in requests? I'd rang up later in the day as it was non urgent. It says on the website you can fill in a form, but you can also call for reception to help you. It took 10 minutes to persuade her that I genuinely could not load the form, turns out the outward-facing system was down (?).

GP then refuses the request, emails me a big paragraph on how they don't need to request it for me and says "go to in person to a pharmacy and ask". I would have gone to the pharmacy myself but I'm without a car, working 20 hours a week while studying full time (with a three hour commute via public transport). I just don't have the time to walk the hour into town to hassle the pharmacist. I haven't slept more than 5 hours a night in a long time. I'm exhausted.

I rang up again today. I explained the fact I cannot attend in person and my family member would be collecting the meds. They pushed for me to buy meds privately online -- which my Prepaid would not cover. They kept telling me to go in person and wait in line, put in the request and return later. But I'm busy during my local pharmacy's opening times

I'm confused because I know the GP can request meds really easily. as easily as writing me a sodding paragraph telling me to do it myself

Gps don’t generally proscribe it anymore
for things like holidays ie lifestyle choices
Suggest
Try boots online if you can’t get to a pharmacy

They wont prescribe it for holidays any more unfortunately. I got a similar medicine from my GP (who knew me) after I'd been refused it by a different GP - partly it was holiday, but partly it was not wanting to ask the people I was with to help with personal care.

You can do it online with boots pharmacy.

Just buy it online through Boots or Superdrug.

Yeah, sorry.

I don't see why the NHS should pay for a lifestyle choice of either not find time to go to the pharmacy or not to get the coil removed if it makes your life harder.

The coil needs removing at some point. Your choices are undergo having it out now, and have less horriffic periods, or suffer the worse periods, and still have to have it removed.

I would also try Boots or Lloyds online pharmacies, really easy to do.

For £10 or so plus delivery you can get a pack of 30 from a wide variety of online pharmacies. I would just do that rather than spend so much time and energy fighting with the GP to prescribe it to you.

coil removal is easy peasy and painless (and I say that as someone who found coil insertion very painful)

They probably pasted that paragraph from all the other messages they've sent people telling them to get it themselves because that's how it works now. If it's important to you, you could get to a pharmacy amidst your studies and commute and you don't have to hassle them or keep calling the surgery. Just buy it in person or online. You're busy but so are they and your holiday isn't their problem. As you say, you know you're being unreasonable, but hope you get it sorted. (There must be a better way than keeping the coil in if you didn't have any problems till you had the coil, even if there's the short-term pain of removal.)

They told you the process. It’s not an unreasonable one.

I’m disabled. I know how sometimes even little errands can be big. Sometimes you still have to figure it out yourself.

I think YABU to expect the GP surgery to flex their processes because you're too busy for the alternative. Lots of people are busy, have inflexible working hours, caring responsibilities or other obligations, and if they were to flex to accommodate everyone it would be carnage and nothing would get done.

I got prescribed last a few months ago! its so shocking

I don't think you are understanding me. I understand they have a schedule / process. but it is shocking that I cannot get medication that I have always received through them. They keep fobbing me off

neither can help me due to my medication I am already on -- as a GP needs to approve

Let's face it. They won't precsribe it because women want it.

yes. But I've rang ten pharmacies. the GP 20 times. They keep telling me to ask the other. Even if I can drive in I cannot get the meds

its an OTC medicine now isnt it? Get a friend to buy some for you?

I think/hope you’ll find coil removal is nothing like insertion.

It sounds like you know they've changed the process, and you said in your OP that you know YABU. Inconvenient as it may be, one of your primary reasons for being unhappy in your OP appeared to be that you're busy during your pharmacy's opening times, and unfortunately that falls on you to navigate in the same way it falls to anyone using the pharmacy.

Just because medication has been on prescription in the past it doesn't mean they can't change the rules and make it so that you can buy it without a prescription.

I don't understand, are you cross because you are going to have to pay for these drugs instead of them being covered by a prepay certificate, or is it because it is inconvenient for you to go to a chemist to buy them?
Also in an earlier post you said a family member would pick them up if they had been prescribed - why can't this family member go to a chemist and buy them for you?

As hospitality comparison.

A customer comes in and wants to order something that used to be on your menu/stock list. It’s not any more.

No amount of them hassling will make it possible for them to order it now it’s off your list.

There has been a lot of review of what GP practises provide as a lot were doing things outside their contracts and using up capacity that then wasn’t available for delivering the stuff they should be. So some things that sat in a slightly grey area are now no longer provided through NHS services.

An alternative route might be a family planning / sexual health / well woman clinic. And approach from the angle of looking for a way to manage the side effects of the coil at times when it’s particularly challenging.

Exactly.

It is not a fucking lifestyle request.

I despair.

Wait so you can’t get it from pharmacy because of your medical history or because you don’t have time? You are contradicting yourself a bit here.

If you need it from your gp because it’s the only place that can prescribe it then fair enough you should just book a gp appt and not say what it’s for till you are there if reception are being a blocker. If you want it from gp because you are too busy to go to a pharmacy then you just need to prioritise it. Or pay privately I guess.