To be a bit annoyed with the pharmacist..

[Bobloblaw]

I have just collected a prescription for my DD, one of the items had a separate sheet and the pharmacist had written the cost of the medicine, underlined it and put three exclamation marks. It is expensive but it's an emergency medication that we use if she has a seizure lasting longer than 10 minutes. I want to mention it to our community nurse but DP thinks I should leave it....AIBU?

Why was he BU? Doctors need to be aware of how much money they are wasting prescribing brands when generics are available.

Brands are not more expensive because they are better. They are more expensive because the pharma company which developed the compound has to recoup their R&D costs and marketing costs, whereas the generic manufacturer only has to recoup their manufacturing costs. Generics are only available when the patent on the original brand has expired.

Actually I'm another who thinks people should know how much drugs cost. People are so blase.
I think it would make people think twice about using/wasting something.
No-one thinks the OP's daughter didn't need the medicine.

With a background in Oncology we always told people how much things cost, not to guilt people but to ensure they respected what had been provided for them.

For example a small sub-cutaneous injection that costs £800. I have had people 'lose' it, accidentally bin it, drop it etc. Why not tell people the value, so they can appropriately value that treatment?

I had the same problem bigbluebus
DS has febrile convulsions and was prescribed rectal diazipam to use if the fit went over 5 minutes. The first time I picked up the prescription I think it only had two weeks left on the date, as he goes up to two or 3 years between a fit (he has gefs+) it was pretty useless to me, the replacement only had months on it.

Crazymum53 this is not about a drug being substituted - In your case the GP took the decision to prescribe the generic rather than the brand and this is all the pharmacist will get paid for.

Many medicines are coloured, but this is not a reason for a pharmacist not to give it. What you have to remember is demand in the NHS is increasing, but budgets aren't, the prescribing of branded products where cheaper alternatives are available has to stop (for most, but not all patients) - it could mean the difference between having a hip replacement or not or getting the best cancer treatment or having IVF.

Sorry to hear about that experience OP. Honestly! What does the pharmacist expect you to say...."oh, ok then, we wont take that medicine then, we will just dice with my DDs health on a daily basis!" You cannot help the fact that your DD has this health problem and neither can she. I am so cross on your behalf. Yes, I would go and say something if I were you.

I do understand what others are saying about how much some drugs cost and that we ought to be appreciative of that but given that OP's DD needs this drug how is that helpful to her?

I mentioned it to DDs community epilepsy nurse as she rang to go over something, and she wasn't very happy, she says they're having issues because where we live falls under one PCT but our Drs surgery comes under a different PCT.

That's my feeling, I do appreciate that it is expensive but it's not a drug that I could choose to give her or not, if she needs it then she has to have it or we risk respiratory arrest/further brain damage/death.

Of course she must have it, and I am glad that you spoke to the nurse about it.

Reading that back I sound overly dramatic but I'm exhausted and grumpy

Not being overly dramatic bobloblaw. That is the sad reality that families like ours have to live with. Our families put up with enough, without having to deal with insensitive actions of so called professionals.
Take care.

Not overly dramatic at all.

If the note was intended for you and in a critical way you are right to be angry about it.

In my third pregnancy I was told I could have monthly scans and weekly midwife appointments by my consultant. My notes had my history for anyone to read, both the losses of my first two babies, and every single page including the front cover had bright orange SANDS stickers on them with 'stillbirth' and 'neonatal death' written on them and the dates that we lost those babies on.

And still the midwifes responsible for booking and co-ordinating scans and appointments would ask me why I needed so many appointments without reading or looking at my notes or the consultants letter in the file. It was upsetting but I know the departments are busy so I tried not to take it personally. Until the day one midwife refused to book my scan and said "You're not having twins so what's so special about you?" in a really aggressive tone in front of a room full of other pregnant women. It was really upsetting. So I feel for you if you are being made to feel like you have to justify your daughters medication needs when you know how vital it is for her to have the medication ready.