To ask, PLEASE, if you take any medication

[drinthehouse]

always have an up to date list of your medication on your phone (because I’ve yet to see a patient who doesn’t have a phone with them).
I work in A&E. I can’t guess what medication you take if you tell me it’s oblong and orange and begins with a b. There are thousands of medications out there. I may not have access to your previous hospital notes, and your GP will only email me your medication list....most likely in 2 days time.
If every patient could manage to bring a list of their medication including doses (just take a photo of your repeat prescription), that alone would save the NHS thousands of pounds a year in time spent by doctors trying to find out what the purple round pill beginning with r is.
Please tell your friends. Take a picture of your granny’s meds on her phone, have a copy on your phone, put this on fb. And update it when your meds change. Please. Thank you (it’s been a long day).

I mean surely just CARRYING a 'prescription repeat' slip will suffice!

I carry a list of medication, including a copy of my current prescription and conditions in me on advice of specialists and consultants.

Despite having that and giving it to staff I was refused my medication on the grounds they decided I shouldn't need it as I looked fine when admitted to a&e supposedly overnight ended up needing to stay longer due to meds being stopped. I ended up very unwell. I've diabetes and was refused regular food and my medications and then got into trouble with the diabetes nurse. My pain relief I've been taking frequently for many years for two chronic pain conditions was stopped overnight because I shouldn't be on so much as I couldn't possibly be in as much pain as those meds implied I was, I couldn't really have osteoarthritis the (too young) and Ehlers danlos is a made up illness. I ended up going through a very nasty withdrawal and needing to restart them again. Completely unnecessarily. They didn't bother to contact GP.

The letter to my GP stated all meds were to be stopped as I was fine and had been admitted for an unknown reason and was a pathological liar about being ill.

My last visit I was refused food despite being there for several hours because my diabetes is "only" type 2, on admission it was fine at 6 so I didn't need any food, despite there being several hours no food and was sent home with blood sugar of 3.8 which I was told was fine only to collapse from hypoglaecemia when I got home over half an hour later and luckily my neighbour was a nurse and helped me.

Yes I complained and was told they can't just take a patients word for diagnosis or meds. My conditions were diagnosed and treatment prescribed in another hospital so I was labelled a pathological liar.

My point : there's no point at all in taking such information if it's just going to be ignored on the basis someone doesn't "look" like they have the conditions they've been diagnosed with or the conditions are completely ignored on the basis of them not having heard of them.

"on advice from specialists and consultants"

I have a come medical history so I have a copy of the latest under the emergency services option on my phone and in my wallet. Both always on me

Thanks for the reminder. I use the iPhone emergency ID for a list of my meds, diagnoses and next of kin. I've updated everything now, a little bit out of date!

I've just found the bit on my iPhone that does this. GENIUS!!!

I will update DH's and DM's when I see them. Thanks OP.

You don't even need a thumbprint so if you're admitted having lost your hands you're still ok!!!

I have the medical thing on my iphone.
No point carry copies of repeats with me as I rarely take a bag.
I also have an allergy bracelet.
Although if I'm going from home I take all my meds with me.

But people change handbags purses etc, nearly everyone has a phone glued to them.

Copies of repeats don’t always work anyway. Ours only shows the medicines the GP prescribes but we also have 4 others on prescription which can only be got from the right consultant directly

I don’t understand why in this day and age everyone’s notes are not on a single system. If amazon can tell me everything I’ve ever ordered, and Facebook has all my posts for the last 12 years, why aren’t my notes available to people who need them? Surely it would save time and money in the long run.

Having just watched the NHS spank thousands up the wall on care for what should have been a simple operation and ended up with ambulance call outs and two weeks in critical care for a grandparent due to their incompetence and waiting list times, I’m less inclined to be receptive to this than I would normally.

My nan has a list of her meds in her purse and I set up her phone so the lock screen with her ICE number and a note directing to her purse.

It worked a charm last year when she passed out in town.

Thank you, great advice in my humble

I completely agree OP. I work in an area where I have to talk to people about their medications and illnesses; IRS amazing how many people have so little knowledge and insight into their medications. The appointment I do are planned and people still don't have the information. When I ask them what they would do if taken to A&E they have no idea. I always advise the have a written list at all times or something on their phone.
There are sadly a lit of people that don't own their responsibility over their own care. Most of the time I'm asked 'can't you just look on the computer?' and then have to explain they systems don't work that way. Then the guessing starts ... Its small, white and begins with an R or a P, I think!

I suggest everyone who has a smartphone should Google and find out how to set their emergency info on their phone.

You can list emergency contacts and any important medical info (medication, allergies etc).

This information can be accessed by anyone without unlocking your phone.

Im type 1 diabetic and wear a pendant with my info on, also allergic to penicillin so that info is on the back of the pendant, had an allergic reaction to it once and it almost finished me off as my tongue swole up so not willing to go there again as was very very scary

Wouldn’t it be easier if the hospital could access the gp pc for just upto date medicine taken

I would be doubtful that lists of medicine on phones would be kept upto date or relatives would be aware of all medicines taken.

If you want to save the NHS thousands charge for repeat prescriptions until they are picked up, the amount of medicine that isn’t picked up from pharmacies runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds

The other week I went into the ‘health’ app on both my parents phone - I put all their meds and details and my details in there - if your phone is locked it comes up when you click on ‘emergency’.

I’m sure there is equivalent on Android too

If I am conscious, I can tell you.

If I’m not, or you think I’m confused, then I have an NHS card which you will easily spot if you open my phone case which says in big scary capitals that this person is on cytotoxic chemotherapy and gives the 24/7 numbers for the duty registrar. Hopefully that’s enough to stop you giving me any meds until someone talks to them

ICE card is behind the scary meds card.

When doing sport (and actually most of the time out and about) I wear a wristband with an insert with the same info

I have my medical ID set up on my phone, it's also accessible from my watch. I do keep it up to date, that's the beauty of it being on my phone. It takes a moment after an appointment to do it.

Not like when I used to wear an SOS pendant, and had to take out the little bit of paper and amend the details, and every so often copy out the whole thing onto a fresh bit of paper because there were so many crossings out it was illegible!

I have it as part of my phone set up, activated by my fingerprint so even if I'm unconscious you can get it and my nok details!

When I've worked out how to access the emergency bit on my phone I'm going to add what you are not to give me!

I have that info on the emergency screen of my phone, even if locked that opens. Would you look at that?

I haven't got a mobile phone. I will now put my repeat prescription form in my purse, so that if I'm in an accident when I'm out it will be with me.

Where in the country are you? I have worked in several different health boards (including A&E jobs):and every single one had an electronic system with access to Emergency Care Summary, which shows repeat medications and recent acute ones too.

But I agree, if you don't have that then ideally people should bring a list of their medications.

I know what meds I’m on and if I’m unconscious, my phone will be locked too. Though I suppose you could use a finger to unlock it!