To think over ordering prescription medicines is sensible?

[Edenviolet]

I always order more than we need/order more frequently than necessary.

The medication will all be used and it is handy to have extra supplies if needed.
The pharmacist was questioning me today as to why we are going through so many items/medications and seemed to think we should only order what we need when we need it?
I prefer to have a 'stock' of dcs medications etc and think I'm sensible in doing so

AIBU?

I'm baffled too, in the context of a long term illness. The cost is irrelevant; if it's small for the patient it's a drop in the ocean for the NHS, and if it avoids a single GP or hospital visit a year then the cost is offset.

fabby we are also restricted to one inhaler a month, which paradoxically encourages stockpiling. I know that if my stock falls to zero (because of illness or because an inhaler goes astray), then I will be in trouble if I need spares for travel. So I get more prescriptions than I need for the children (who both have mild asthma that only needs treatment occasionally) to ensure that we have enough.

Yes, it's an incredibly complicated condition. I think the reason the OP hasn't taken on board any of the 'YABU' people is that nobody has given a good reason why she's unreasonable. She's not wasting medicine.

charleybarley
That is so true ,type 1 diabetics is a very difficult disease to control .and a hundred times harder when it's a child ,
Many People really underestimate this condition ,and it's complications .

It won't always be though, and then you'll have three months worth of unused, wasted meds!

OP has said they are used in date, they are not wasted meds. My ds had a couple of conditions where we had to have "just in case" and has never used them. They are wasted meds, we never used the rectal diazepam as he never had a 5 minute febrile convulsion at home once it was prescribed, although he did at school and was given intravenously in the ambulance. He has epipens for allergies that are thankfully never used. Are you saying he shouldn't be allowed those meds because the chances are wont use them. OP does use the meds. I was in the chemist recently where a friend who I know has two dc with type one diabetes was having problems as they couldn't get the right sharps.
There has also been impossible to get steroid creams from gsk recently because of a problem with manufacturing and they didn't know how long it was going to be.

It's a non issue. If you are not wasting anything then you shouldn't care what the pharmacists or posters on here, think.

You manage her care in the way you feel most comfortable. I'm sure many posters on here would do the same in your position, despite what they say now. It's one less thing to feel anxious about, knowing you always have the resources ready and waiting. It's a safety net. Nobody should begrudge you that. Develop a thick skin.

In your case - a child with diabetes - I think it makes sense to have a store of things because of the likelihood of needing more without warning.

I also think the pharmacist is right to query it - so much medication gets wasted on NHS funds because of over ordering. I'm sure if you completed a medication review with the help of your GP she'd be happy with the practicalities of it.

So YANBU but neither is the pharmacist. And in most cases over ordering medication is VU.

3 months is ridiculous.
The NHS is not there for people to use it as they feel comfortable, it's used to treat and manage conditions in a clinically appropriate way.

Having your own personal supply, in hugely excessive amounts us questionable and should not be allowed.

No-one is disputing that diabetes is complex or that the OP is doing a good job of managing it but most people are saying that a 3-month stock is excessive
This is another of those threads:
OP - AIBU?
99% of posters - Yes
OP - No IANBU and will not consider your point of view
Why bother? What is the point of a this thread if you will not consider other views?
Several people have pointed out that medication regimes change. An illness or crisis leading to hospital or specialist intervention can often lead to complete changes of treatment and what will you do then? Waste your 3 month stash and convince yourself it's ok? Will you keep doing that while others struggle to get their cancer treatments, new hips, etc because of lack of funds?

Glucose tablets would cost you £3 a month but they cost the NHS extra in fees to the surgery and pharmacy (albeit not huge individually but they all mount up). I started this thread with a certain amount of sympathy but you are coming across more and more as just selfish

The NHS is on its knees and, while everybody knows it needs to economise, everybody thinks they should get whatever they want and those economies should fall on others. I hope you remember this in years to come when treatments may not be not forthcoming as it is the irresponsibility of patients that is one of the things pushing the NHS there

Couldn't put it better calmyo

I think one thing that people are missing is that if people felt more confident that they could get hold of spare medicines quickly if they needed them, they would be less tempted to hold stocks.

Where your life or your children's life depends on a medicine, it is completely understandable that people are risk-averse.

Many medicines are "wasted" especially where they are intended for crisis situations - I've only used an epipen 2-3 times, so over the years I've thrown an awful lot of unused epipens in the bin! I've also experience the panic of not being able to obtain medicines you need. I once had to travel to Africa and epipens were unavailable so I had to take vials of adrenalin and some diabetic syringes on the plane. Having the foresight to keep spares would have avoided this.

We use approx 1 pot (50 tablets ) per month. I think they are £2-3 a pot

and you expect a perscription for it,disgusting

Misti yes what you say is true for some conditions. Nibidy needs a THREE month supply of a very widely available drug. Nobody.

damnbamboo I have about 6 months' worth of normal use of inhalers in my bedroom cabinet.

But it only takes all three of us to be travelling (1 inhaler plus 1 spare per person), or a dozy teenager to lose an inhaler or two, for us to have no spares at all.

DamnBamboo - I think having a "personal supply" of the drugs that keep you alive each day is more than reasonable. The idea of not having access to the one thing keeping you alive is horrific. Can't you understand that? Life with the condition is hard enough as it is without feeling like medication that is needed (and will be used) is being held to ransom. You talk as though a child with a lifelong condition isn't even a person.
Most Gps and chemists are wonderful and I fully appreciate the work they do. However sadly some are not so great, and quite frankly would not want to be effectively placing my childs life in their hands on a regular basis. I found that out at great cost when my child was younger.

As for the 3 months being excessive. I can't remember what your experierence of type 1 diabetes is, but whilst I'll admit that 3 months does at first sound like a lot, the problem is the medication quantity can vary so much. What should be a months supply of medication for my son usually, can be gone within a few days if he becomes ill for example. It's not like popping the same amount of pills each day like many medications. Strips and insulin are often used at different rates each day.
We don't personally keep 3 months worth, but often do end up with a large stockpile when we have been on holiday. (diabetics are advised to always take at least double what you require when going abroad). The gp will sometimes question why we suddenly need more than usual when I place the holiday order, and I'm fine with that. Once they know the reason so are they, but we are lucky to now have a gp that actually understands the condition. Not everyone has that.

YANBU. How on earth can people think you are? It must be so stressful managing a potentially life-threatening condition for your child. The more you can do to minimise potential danger and stress to you, the better.

Why is it disgusting ? There are so many things we need that are not on prescription that we need to save money somewhere. Dds gluten free foods are not all on pres and are very expensive so it balances out

I have type 1 DM btw!

I understand the need to have an "in case" back up' I take over 20 different tablets a day, it's hard keeping track of stock but I have to have at least a weeks supply in reserve in case of a flare up. Three months is excessive IMO. The rotation of your "stock" must cause you extra complications. Could you try and reduce your stash gradually? I understand why the pharmacist is concerned.

On another note, a friend of mine (with a large amount of prescription meds in the house!) collected a morphine prescription from the chemist. Later he was burgled and it transpired the thief was someone who overheard his address in the chemist and seeing the morphine, broke in later and stole his meds box. (Incidentally, and ironically, the unnecessary amount of meds in the house were then flagged as a concern). I am careful collecting my prescriptions, particularly if addresses and type of controlled meds are mentioned.

Sounds like an urban myth I know, but the police said it is becoming a popular way of stealing prescription meds.

Several people have pointed out that medication regimes change. An illness or crisis leading to hospital or specialist intervention can often lead to complete changes of treatment and what will you do then?

That is so unlikely that it's hardly worth considering. Diabetes is so difficult to manage that drastic changes are very rare. I've been on the same insulin for the last eight years and it won't change until there are very drastic leaps in insulin technology. It'll be the same for the OP's daughter.

The most likely change is her blood meter changing but, in that case, there would be no need for her to change it immediately - she could use up the strips she had before switching.

YABU. A small back-up supply may be reasonable. 3 months isn't. Unless you're expecting some kind of biblical-scale disaster?

Are you getting a repeat of every single item on the prescription every time? Or do you tell the pharmacist if you don't need something because you still have plenty at home?

You say part of the reason is because you worry about delays in getting the items when needed. Haven't you considered 'cause and effect'? Perhaps you weren't able to get the blood-testing strips or whatever because other people had decided to stockpile. And your stockpiling might be depriving someone else who is in more urgent need at a particular time.

My eldest dd (15, almost 16 now) is severely asthmatic, and I always have many inhalers for her. She ends up in intensive care every winter with it, and it's life threatening for her to not have one, especially when she can go through a full inhaler in a few days if it's very bad.

Thanks for confirming you have type 1 damnbamboo. I think the thing is every case is different and no 2 diabetics are the same. My son isn't on a pump and has 4-5 injections a day. I'm not sure how stockpiling works if you are on a pump like hedgehog is or how often they fail? I totally understand needing a backup solution if this occurs though.
I just think something you essentially need to live should be readily available, and in some areas chemists and gp surgeries aren't as swift and punctual at getting repeat prescriptions ordered which can cause a lot of worry and stress.
On the other hand I will say I have anemia and need to take iron tablets. The gp prescribes me 4 months at a time. I don't think this is needed and have mentioned this to them. I'm not going to drop dead if I run out of my tablets for a few days and I'd be more than happy to drop in and pick up that prescription on a monthly basis instead so as to reduce the risk of wastage when I'm better. I'm guessing because they cost about 0.5p per packet to produce they don't care as much?