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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Doctors refusing to put my sons formula on repeat prescription

98 replies

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 08:52

My 5 month old is on neocate, lactulose and omeprazole for milk allergy constipation and reflux. He is very allergic, I accidentally reintroduced Alimentum (the first allergy milk) and he reacted. His consultant says he cannot have any dairy until he is at least 2.

My doctors only give me enough neocate for 3-4 weeks. Every time I need more, I have to make an appointment. It's really hard to get a doctors appointment, I have to take him into the surgery where there's ill people spreading germs and take up an appointment, wasting everyone's time.

I've asked for it to be put on repeat and told "no because it's expensive" "the hospital should prescribe it". But it's obviously more expensive to have me keep booking appointments for it! The hospital won't prescribe it they write to the GP.

AIBU to think this is a bloody joke? It has to be ordered in so I have to guess when it'll run out, attempt to book an appointment and usually can't get one when I need it and if it's too early they question why I need it, order it at a pharmacy and wait until it's in, by which time if my son decides he's really hungry we almost run out.

OP posts:

TheGreenTriangle · 26/01/2016 08:58

How much is it to buy this formula yourself? Can you order it yourself from the pharmacy?

At our surgery, the GP will book a repeat appointment in x weeks' time if it's for an ongoing treatment - can yours do that for you? (Usual appointments are phone up on the day.)

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 26/01/2016 09:00

That is very annoying. Can you ask the doctor to at least give you a spare tin

I would also ask the consultant to write to the GP making the prescription request formally

If none of that works, can you make your repeat appointments immediately after the last one - is get your prescription and go straight to reception and make the next appointment

To be fair, there have been situations with repeat prescriptions which have been abused (selling excess tins etc) and/or the situation hasn't been actively managed with proper reviews by HCPs hence why it is harder to get repeat prescriptions now but there should be some flexibility with giving you a spare tin etc.

yankeecandle4 · 26/01/2016 09:00

I feel you OP. You need to get whoever prescribed you at the hospital to write a very strong letter saying that this needs to go on repeat. Don't take it personally, GP's are under a lot of pressure to cut back on (expensive) prescriptions. It's a complete pain in the neck. You may need to make the first few initial appointments, explain this is a long term thing and to prevent wasting everyone's time could it go on repeat.

ThisisMrsNicolaHicklin · 26/01/2016 09:07

That's ridiculous. As far as I understand repeat prescribing is for conditions where nothing is going to change in the short term so the patient doesn't need to be reviewed. Could your consultant contact your GP to explain that nothing is going to change for the next 19 months at least and perhaps make them see that unless they are more sensible the NHS will be paying for about 25 appointments plus the neocate.

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:07

Green you can't buy it other than online and I don't feel safe ordering it online.

Usually the GP will say "go to the desk", and then I have to try and get past the arseholes receptionists who like to make it as difficult as possible. You can book an appointment for 4 weeks or 2 days, not 3.

I will ask the consultant to write to them

OP posts:

Hellojoe · 26/01/2016 09:11

This was the same when I needed aptamil pepti, I put up with it for a couple of months but the pharmacy always needed to order it in, and it was a constant worry if run out.
Eventually I saw a different doctor and she put it on repeat prescription, the pharmacy agreed to order in advance as long as I agreed to keep using them (they don't like to keep it in stock due to use by dates)

RavioliOnToast · 26/01/2016 09:11

The formula is £36 for 400g. My DD is on this formula and if it wasn't for the good old NHS I don't know how we'd be able to give her that. Does your surgery not do telephone appointments instead?

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:13

Only for emergencies Ravioli. They do telephone prescriptions but they take a few days so again I have to try and guess when I'll need it which is a pain

OP posts:

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:14

What I mean is it'll take 3 days for the prescription then ordering it at the pharmacy so it could be a week and they won't prescribe it after 2 weeks so if I do that at 3 weeks it's really close to running out

OP posts:

RavioliOnToast · 26/01/2016 09:19

I always order ours early. Don't when you've two tins left, build up a reserve

mouldycheesefan · 26/01/2016 09:19

Will the pharmacy nTo order I

HaPPy8 · 26/01/2016 09:19

Is it not a good thing that the GP is keeping a close eye on your son? I can understand why they wouldn't want to do a repeat prescription for such a small baby. When my daughter was one she was on a lot of medicine whilst awaiting an operation and although she was under a consultant at the hospital who stated what medication she should have, the gp always saw her when issuing her prescriptions.

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:20

They don't let me because they question why I need it before 3 weeks

OP posts:

BoomBoomsCousin · 26/01/2016 09:21

That si a joke. I would try the complaints procedure, but failing that I would be inclined to lie about consumption for a few months until you have a bit of a stock pile yourself so even though you have the hassle of the appointment, you don't have the worry of running out.

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:21

Happy but it isn't going to change and they're not qualified to help him, whenever I've asked them about a problem I get told to either ask his consultant or HV. It's not harmful, it's formula and he isn't going to stop needing it for months

OP posts:

Abraid2 · 26/01/2016 09:23

Why don't you feel safe ordering it online?

Sirzy · 26/01/2016 09:23

Can you write a note to post into the prescription box? One of my sons drugs the GP is being an arse about putting into repeat but if I put a request into thr box they will do it (don't ask why I don't understand the logic)

Also order it earlier so you always have back ups!

Potatoface2 · 26/01/2016 09:25

ask to speak to the practice manager and also speak to your local chemist and tell them you will be having this for the foreseeable future and can they keep it in stock so you wont have to keep waiting for it to be ordered.....or ask if there is a local chemist that keeps it in stock...i think you will just have to keep on and on and on.....phone the GP surgery every day until they get sick of you....its really hard trying to get past the politics in a doctors surgery, that why i would speak to the practice manager first

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:26

Abraid I wouldn't order my own supplements online so I wouldn't do it for my son. How do I know what's in it?

Sirzy I'll try that I hadn't thought. Boom I'm going to try that too

OP posts:

NiNoKuni · 26/01/2016 09:27

Oh heck, I think that's awful and it's so worrying for you not knowing where and when the supply is going to come from. We were recently put on Pepti for suspected CMPA. It was only 800g and not on repeat at first, but I called the surgery and kept calling until I got 800g x 4 on repeat. The GP just asked me to give her an idea of how much DS went through and prescribed accordingly.

If your DS is going to need this for a year or two, I don't see why they wouldn't put it on repeat. What's the point of making you go in every 3 weeks or so? Our GP has just kept in touch via phone appointments. They can still make regular check-up appointments and put it on repeat. I'd definitely see how far up the complaint chain you can go. Don't give up!

passmethewineplease · 26/01/2016 09:30

I think this is quite typical.

My Friends DS was the same. Such an inconvenience and a waste of their and yours time.

Devora · 26/01/2016 09:36

Can I trump you?!

When I adopted dd2 she was on a special formula, which my GP initially refused to prescribe on the grounds that 'she's old enough to try without' (she was 10 months).

I said I was happy to try taking her off it, but not straightaway. As a newly placed infant, I felt the least we could do was give her a month or two on the same formula - everything else in her life had been turned upside down, the comfort of continuing with her normal bottles seemed really important.

GP said that that was a lifestyle choice and I shouldn't expect the taxpayer to be funding my lifestyle choices

We compromised that she would prescribe for a month, but she would only prescribe one small tin at a time. So I had to turn up at the GP surgery every 48 hours for a new prescription - I don't know who was more furious, me or the receptionist.

Funnily enough, I'm not with that GP any more. When I think of her casual cruelty to a traumatised baby it makes the red mist rise.

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:38

Devora that is horrible! I hope your DD2 was okay

OP posts:

Devora · 26/01/2016 09:42

Thank you, CatsMeow. I was particularly galled by the suggestion that I was some kind of sponger. Kind of tempting to say, "Do you have any idea how much money I am saving the taxpayer by adopting a child from care?" but I didn't want to play on her terms.

Original poster

TheCatsMeow · 26/01/2016 09:44

It's horrible when they try and guilt you for doing the best for the child Devora

OP posts:

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