To think the CQC report on on ine prescribing services will only make life more difficult.

[ExConstance]

DH and I l both work long hours and struggle to get GP appointments. If we can get an appointment it invariably means taking time off work and then waiting and waiting for so long we have to book leave to cover it. We have found it very useful to use Treated.com for antibiotics and my HRT.

DH ascertained a while back that it is no good to go to GP with raging earache as they won't prescribe antibiotics, the only way you can get something that works is to use an on line service and say you have a dental abscess. I have needed a trimethoprim prescription for a UTI on the odd occasion, if I order on line I can get it the next day, having to wait a week to see GP for this sort of condition is nonsense. I need to go to my GP for HRT prescription once a year but at least the on line services mean I'm not subjected to the usual harassment and doom and gloom over this 4 x a year ( with consequent time off work) . Our bodies our choice, I really can't see if with informed decision making I want to order medication and that is checked ( as it is now) by a GP I should have to jump through additional hoops of proving who I am and allowing the GP who has no interest in me and can't even be bothered to have convenient surgery times to be notified. For many of us I suppose we will now just stock up on a plethora of medication while we can, buy abroad in future and - as my GP is of no practical use to me at all, de-register so there can be no unwanted snooping.

for a great many the last 15 years or so are not only pretty grim but a cycle of one intervention after another

Yes but, crucially, fewer than previously. Some people have always had a crap few years before death, but things have been steadily improving over the decades. It would be irresponsible of a GP to prescribe something that will likely harm their patient (whatever the patient's feelings in the matter) and would lead to them being struck off.

By the way, menopause does NOT necessarily lead to all the issues you describe - you can wean slowly off the HRT to allow your body time to get used to the changes. Do you really think all women over 60 who are not on HRT have dodgy/painful fanjos?

My paternal grandparents and great-aunts all lived to their late 80s despite being heavy smokers. Clearly this is proof that fags are not only harmless, but actually good for you.

I work in the medical profession and am disgusted the OP. You really have no idea of the damage your ignorance and entitlement is causing.

OP, YABVU. Basically you are diagnosing yourself, and creating untold problems for yourself and others in the future as PPs have pointed out.
Also, Trimeprothim stops being effective once taken a certain amount of times. What do you plan to do then?
You need a GP to properly diagnose a UTI, dip a sample and investigate the cause. What is your reasoning for diagnosing yourself with a UTI?
I have one at the moment. I'm a HCP and have had a dip and a urine analysis done electronically. However, it is being treated by me, with lots of clear fluids, regular toilet trips and no antibiotics.
Having done a follow up dip last night, the results are clearer. Job done.
But how do you conclude you get them all the time from sex and horse riding???
Most UTIs are caused by not drinking enough fluid or not going to the toilet at regular intervals. If you have real cause to believe you are regularly suffering from UTIs then you need a GP to ascertain the reasons why, and treat you accordingly. Do this before you give yourself an AKI or worse!

Stewpots, perhaps you should read the thread before adding comments that are not based on what I have said. I have had no more than 4 UTIs in the last 5 years, two of these were on horse riding holidays over long distances and GP actually advised getting Trimothoprim to take with me next time I go. I would take a bit more notice of adverse comments if they bore some resemblance to what I had actually said. Such lack of attention to detail is inappropriate in someone who earns their living in a sector that really depends on active listening and accuracy.

Mary McCarthy!!!!!!!!!

"From a health perspective I'd much prefer to do MDMA once every few months than get drunk on anything approaching a regular basis. "

This is a quote from you on another thread, I think you have lost all credibility on a matter relating to purchasing prescription drugs on line if you are advocating the use of illegal drugs - and you working in the medical profession too!

Nice advance search . mary is not advocating the use of illegal drugs at all. That is not what that excerpt says at all

My DH was having a conversation with a bunch of other dentists recently when we were out about needle sticks. The general consensus is they would rather be infected with HIV than hepatitis as HIV is better controlled/managed. However that doesn't mean they want a needle stick which using your logic it would

Self-diagnosing is not always right.
But I understand where OP is coming from.

I still remember when DC had conjunctivitis years ago. The symptoms were quite severe, and I looked it up before the GP appointment and saw that from his symptoms it was very likely to be bacterial and antibiotics could help. Went to the GP, he said just wait a couple of days. I asked if it wasn't bacterial then, and he didn't believe AB could help. Immediate response from him was to prescribe the AB. I wasn't pushy at all!
From this day I don't really trust that a doctor will prescribe all the medication needed, only the bare minimum.

OP 4 UTIs in 5 years is quite a lot. This is the first one I've ever had, after 2 kids, being regularly sexually active etc etc.
I was not trying to be horrible in my post and did not deserve that pretty snotty reply. I have seen what happens to women when repetitive use of trimeprothim causes it to become ineffective in my line of work (15 years qualified and experienced) and it ain't pretty. Also you are setting yourself up for AKIs which will leave you susceptible to all sorts of issues in later life.
But hey, what do I know? Carry on. I look forward to seeing you in a few years absolutely delirious, ranting and raving and in agony because your prolonged use of antibiotics means treatment is no longer effective.

Medscape "Vaginal dryness and atrophy is a silent epidemic that affects many women who are undoubtedly suffering in silence. This chronic and progressive medical condition has been estimated to affect up to 50%-60% of postmenopausal women; some healthcare providers believe this estimate is lower than the actual incidence" so not all but an awful lot.

Are some of you suggesting that all on line prescribing should be prohibited? If you cannot get a GP appointment and you turn to the on line route you fill in details of your ailment and will - if you present with symptoms of a UTI- be offered Trimothoprim. That is what I did and that is what I got. Are you saying that is wrong? Is it disgusting MaryMcCarthy? I prefer to buy my HRT on line if I can because I can do without the usual lecture every 3 months. Are you saying that is wrong?

Whilst I mentioned my DH's approach to getting some antibiotics for his ear after speaking to a GP friend do I control him? Is it not appropriate to take medical advice from a friend who is a GP if your own makes it virtually impossible to get an appointment and go to work? Is it disgusting and irresponsible?

What utter nonsense. Anyone who eats meat and supports the agricultural use of antibiotics really is contributing far more to this problem and should examine their principles before being critical.

Time and time again they fall, go into hospital, get sent home, and spend their days in abject misery. I suppose that most of us would prefer not to have to go through that.

So therefore it's better to be dead than alive and in poor health?

Not necessarily, but some people might think so, perhaps a lot. I know my mother says that she has "lived too long" and she is fairly mobile and doesn't need carers quite yet. I know that quite often when I offer condolences in my professional role family members say to me "it was a blessed relief," They also sometimes add that it would have been better if the loved one hadn't had to live through the second stroke, or the last spell in hospital. I use this as a case study with my staff for discussion I would like to think I'd be like that. I always think it is a waste of a good party not to be at our own wake!

online prescribing of antibiotics should be illegal.

there are people who say that antibiotics should be consultant only even.

I'm not aware of any plans to make on line prescribing of antibiotics illegal - it is all done via a qualified doctor anyway. How would the NHS cope if older people - who are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for UTIs had to see a consultant every time?

point is: antibiotics do not need to be prescribed everytime someone has a bacterial infection. and if they do, because of serious complications of that infection, a swab should be taken. that can not be done by an online dr.

there are doctors who favour OTC antibiotics, without any assessment for uncomplicated UTIs

This is the pro reference, above is the other view here

You don't even need an appointment for a UTI. Just ring up explain the situation and ask for a sample jar, collect it, fill it, they send it off and issue the correct antibiotics. Sorted.

You need an appt for an UTI.
When I suspected one of my DC had one, I made an appt and took a sample. In the meantime another DC started having symptoms so I took a sample as well. I can't tell you how hard it was to be allowed to have both samples tested with just one appt. I can't imagine how it would have been without an appt at all.

YABVU
Drugs aren't sweets.

patient.info/doctor/acute-otitis-media-in-adults

Having read this article I can't see the advice to just give out antibiotics and don't examine the ear, which is what you, OP, seem to think GP's should do. I would be more concerned why a grown man is getting recurrent acute otitis media. Why is his immune system not working?

patient.info/doctor/hrt-follow-up-assessments this article and
the NICE guidance sent to GPs has a long list of things GP's are advised to discuss with patients. No one should be denied HRT but there are some safety concerns and the dose frequently needs to be tweaked for optimum benefit.
For all we know you are a smoker, overweight have a borderline BP with a previous history of migraine and DVT - in which case your doctor is wise to keep an eye on you.
Loads of GPS are happy to prescribe HRT - suggest you try to get an appointment with a female one over 50.

I do have some sympathy for the op, it can be very tricky to get an appointment at a convenient time if you're working long hours.

Would a private GP near to where you work be a solution?

Misguided and excessive use of antibiotics is possibly biggest risk society is going to face in next decade.

If you think it's sometimes better to be dead than alive, you have very different beliefs to mine.

If you think it's sometimes better to be dead than alive, you have very different beliefs to mine

My 85 year old mother, who is facing exactly this situation, is widowed, has Alzheimer's and extremely limited mobility, would very much prefer to be dead. And you may feel the same if you get to the same age and state as her.

(Sorry, not related to the content of the OP)

Probably not TheDevil. Maybe my beliefs and experiences are different from your mother's as well.