to think the hospital should have sent me home with pain meds

[ScarletOverkill]

I went to a&e today with what turned out to be a broken collar bone. They gave me codeine while I was there but when I asked about pain meds when they discharged me they said to just take paracetamol!
Is the NHS funding that bad?
Needless to say I shall be trying to see my gp in the morning!

You can buy paracetamol/cocodamol/ ibuprofen over the counter for much cheaper than it costs a hospital to dispense therefore saving the cost to the NHS. my dept dishes out boxes of painkillers like sweets and patients are actually put out when we suggest buying their own! also don't buy the branded stuff buy the cheapest you can find as its exactly the same drug

Ive just got out of hospital and during my stay there (a week) struggled to even get a jug of water despite being taken off my drip so the doctor could see how I wouod cope with drinking it instead. At one point it took 10 hours to get one and I only got that because a visitor showed up and demanded one (I'm currently none mobile and they didn't pass me a bell) and Yep during that time not one person stuck there head in my room

Why don't you try a pharmacy instead of the GP? Pharmacists are brilliant with pain relief.

Again, thank you for all your replies. I shall try my pharmacy in the morning.
It looks like IWBU after all

Good luck and hope you heal quickly. Just remember. Dose up every 4 hours like clockwork!

Victoriaplum, in my DHs case we left A&E at 3am in a taxi. There was nowhere we could have gone to get any. Of course (un)fortunately I have naproxen, ibuprofen, ibuprofen with codeine, paracetamol and Co-codamol (not taking them all at once!) so we weren't exactly short of painkillers in the house, but the chap in A&E didn't know that.

Codeine and paracetomal tablets are about £2 for a box of 32 over the counter in boots. Ask for their own brand as its the same thing (as co-codamol) but cheaper.

Try paramol if you're struggling. It's dihydrocodeine and paracetamol and I find it better than cocodamol

The advice is to avoid ibuprofen and drugs like it as they delay healing. (According to orthopaedic colleagues)

God OP that sounds terrible and not sufficient. I remember when I had an operation in hospital - they were giving me tramadol then when I was discharged (same day as being given tramadol) they told me to just take paracetamol! Makes no sense and luckily doctor gave strong co codamol .I came off them fine with no problems - no doubt they're addictive to some but for me were purely for the pain

Because I've been taking painkillers regularly for 7 months I did have a chat with a pharmacist about codeine and she didn't think I was at risk of addiction. Apparently it's more of a risk if you're taking it for headaches.