To be annoyed Click and collect prescription wasn't processed

[Happyhippy45]

Being organised and saving myself a trip to the doctors surgery to hand in a form for a repeat prescription.
Ordered online from boots. Takes two weeks to process. Was meant to be ready last Friday. Went today and they say they have nothing for me. Told to phone the dr tomorrow(surgery is closed today.)
Is this a common problem with click and collect?

Pharmacies aren't allowed to put prescription orders in any more. You have to do it with your own gp

It usually means either you are due a review and no one has told you and you need to see Dr to get it reauthorised or you haven't signed to allow Boots to collect your prescription.

It can also mean Dr's are behind schedule. Boots have a text service you can sign up for which means you know it's ready before you go into store.

play boots order every week for me!

Yes, it happens sometimes.

Yeah it's for asthma medication that I've been getting for years.......maybe they feel after 8 years I need a review pffft.
Possibly could be dr behind schedule. They've dropped the ball a few times on getting things done in time.

I found that there was an issue every single month with Boots! Excuse after excuse, I went to my local pharmacy about a year ago and haven't had any problems, they are so on the ball compared to Boots!

I've found Boots excellent actually, there have been issues such as prescriptions not received or sent to the wrong store (2 on same street, I use the smaller). But they've always sorted it out for me by contacting the surgery and have dispensed meds from a faxed copy of the prescription if I've run out, as they know the original is on its way. They've never just told me to speak to my GP!

Happy - my daughter has to have yearly reviews!

I get my scripts from Tesco. I have had numerous problems and tried all sorts of methods but find the best way is to order my own, and follow up/keep on top. The only people really interested in my prescriptions is me.

Click and collect is not a system that is supported by most doctor's surgeries (in my area at least). And unfortunately most surgeries dont communicate with pharmacies regarding reviews as some say it is a breach of confidentiality to share this information (usually when the receptionist has had a bad day and wants to make the pharmacy have a bad day too).

Speak to your gp and they can fast track a script through to the chemist for you. Also check that they are aware of your wishes regarding your prescriptions.

Yanbu about having your meds ready on time but it genuinely might not be your chemists fault.

I work in a surgery and Boots are the pits.
They send their drivers to get scripts they haven't ordered.
They put in orders when they are not due.
They request scrips that were picked up by themselves in the last few days.
They have this "marvellous" system where they fax a script pick up sheet to the surgery. A driver calls in and asks if we have a fax from Boots x. We haven't received it but the driver can't pick up the script because they think this method is fool proof they don't give the driver the patients details. The driver goes away and tries again the next day.

The system is changing in many areas so chemists will not be able to order any more, patients will have to order themselves as PlayOn said.

Apparently investigations have shown a significant number of pharmacies across the country have been over-ordering in order to increase their profits at the expense of the NHS, shameful for them to have done this when the NHS is so underfunded.

Troysmammy Maybe you should let the people in Boots know their system isn't working. Yes they do try to pick up scripts they haven't ordered for people like me who order their own script and ask Boots to pick it up. I would suspect they don't give the patients names to delivery drivers for confidential reasons.

If you know the system clearly isn't working it amazes me that you would give out about it here instead of letting them know and frustrating people like the OP.

People deserve to be able to have their (often life saving) medicine in a timely fashion and as you work in the surgery you are just as responsible for that as the chemists.

My surgery and boots use electronic prescriptions so no need to have a driver pick up or anything. I see the doctor who issues a prescription online then I walk over to Boots where it's waiting for me to collect, no paper between the surgery or chemist but irritatingly they print it at boots for me to sign...... wish it was 100% paper free!!

inever - we do tell them but it falls on deaf ears so what do you suggest we do?

We write the information on the sheet the reason no script available or give the information to the driver who writes it against the patient's name.

It's not faxed for confidentiality reasons but because other surgeries have huffed and puffed when a driver is collecting the scripts and making patients wait their turn. Some Boots branches rely on us receiving the fax, some send in the driver with a list.

We can't just order what we think the patient wants. Many millions of pounds of NHS money is wasted every year by people ordering everything when they don't need to. The contract to order is between Boots and the patient, we just action the request.

Troysmammy it sounds like a very frustrating situation. Maybe you need to arrange a meeting with them so that they know what works for your surgery. It must be equally frustrating for them to have customers turn up to collect their medication when it's not ready.

It comes across that the surgery is blaming the chemist and the chemist blame the surgery. While a little communication could sort it out for everyone's benefit.