To complain to the gp practice manager?

[LivinLaVidaLoki]

I have asthma which is mostly triggered by allergies.
Every year from about March to September I take a nasal antihistamine. This is prescribed after trying various over the counter antihistamines and a couple of prescription ones. This one seems to be the only one that is really effective.
I still had a bottle left from last year so started using that in March but it was running out. Knowing it would likely run out over the bank holiday I called the prescription clerk at the gp to order a repeat on Monday last week (it takes 3 days). I went to the pharmacy yesterday to pick it up and it's not there.
I called the gp surgery who said it had been sent to the doctor on Monday but not actioned as it's not on my repeat medication list.
I explained that I've always had it on repeat and she said that as I've not had it since September it has been removed from my repeat list.
The receptionist was very helpful and said she would take it up with the gp on Tuesday.
I bought some clarityn to try and take the edge off, but I feel lousy. I feel stuffy and tight chested and just generally shit on the nicest weekend we have had.
I just feel that all this could have been avoided if someone had called me to let me know about the problem with my prescription so I could try and fix it but no one did and now here I am feeling wheezy and sorry for myself.

I think the Receptionist just gave general advice “wait 3 days, 4 as it’s BH”. I don’t think it’s for her to check whether it’s on repeat or not or if there’ll be any issues.

Memorial 💐

The solution is people buy their seasonal hayfever meds. You cannot imagine the workload this ridiculous seasonal demand makes.

I have year-round allergy issues (dust, dust mites, fungal spores, some animal hair, as well as tree pollen and oilseed rape), so it's not just seasonal. The allergies also trigger frequent episodes of sinusitis, despite having had surgery to try and sort it out.

My regular medication is anti-histamine tablets, nasal spray, eye drops and an inhaler. I dread to think how much it would cost over a year if I had to pay separately for that little lot.

Twenty years ago, my then immunologist (NHS) applied for funding for a series of bespoke desensitisation injections, but it was turned down. Looks like that may have been a false economy now.

But I'm sorry to add to your workload.

@Lakielady - while I don't know what you're on, my once-a-day is apparently fine to take twice-a-day (the wearing off too early thing is normal).

I'm sorry for bullying you memorial, I didn't realise I was doing it

The word complaint got my back up. We have to deal with them through an excruciating formal process and report them all at end of year.

So basically if something is going wrong/not working in your practice you don't want to know? Because its an inconvenience? Even if its a simple communication protocol which could be adjusted to mutual benefit?

The OP said in the early posts that they had tried many OTC hay fever remedies and it was the GP who put them onto a prescribed option, presumably they didn't do that for laughs.

If the OP is in the South of England they presumably will have picked up the extreme pollen alert last week. You don't know either if the OP also has asthma triggered by hay fever or allergic reactions before telling them they are a time waster who wants to "tar and feather" people and that its too inconvenient to let people know they need a prescription review. Something which all the local surgeries manage using an automated system.

Realistically, it would be difficult to get an appointment for medication review within 3 days.

Like someone mentioned above, patients can mindlessly tick medication even when they don’t need it so it’s a good thing it gets queried and reviewed.

@Memorial is absolutely right. General Practice is horrendously pressured now and very few practices have a full complement of clinicians. The public are running the NHS into the ground

OP, Dymista is blacklisted in our area and we are not allowed to prescribe it. Maybe that is why it has been removed?

Drugs mostly have a long expiration date you need to make sure you have a supply in date if you need it infrequently.

The same way people who need epipens have to constantly check the expiry date.

Hi OP,

That's miserable- sorry you've had a shitty day, feeling ill.

Beconase nasal spray, which you can buy over the counter, contains the same ingredient 'Beclometasone dipropionate' as the 'brown' steroid nasal spray that the GP prescribes so perhaps buy one to tide you over until you can get the GP to sort your prescription out.

What do patients do if they need prescription strengths anti histamines as I do?

Dymista is the gold standard of anti histamines it’s not the same as Beconase is only a steroid nasal spray. Dymista is a combined antihistamine and steroid in one spray.

I’m sat here currently on Dymista, telfast, symbicort, ventolin, prednisone and yellow sputum probably because i’ve Inhaled something while outside because I’m highly allergic to grass.

I’m glad I’m not a priority!!

Why is dymista blacklisted in your area?

Surely OP couldn't have predicted that this week would have ended up being such a bad one for her allergies (and no, asthma is rarely always trivial). All the cars round here are absolutely plastered in pollen, looking lke there's been a sand cloud.

I’m sorry OP my reply to you was a little bit abrupt I’m feeling your pain although I think I’ve inhaled an allergen and have nice yellow sputum now so hoping I don’t get worse before the drs reopen on Tuesday.

I can’t remember where I put the antibiotics I was prescribed by the ANP in case I needed them in January. Although I do feel it’s a joke when I’m effectively self treating.

@LadyWithLapdog Ironically I had the opposite problem - I carefully requested only the medications I needed, and my GP was mindlessly prescribing every single medication every time I requested a repeat.

I pointed this out to someone at the surgery, who agreed this wasn't great (and risked costing them money). I think they passed the message on, because now what I request matches up with what I receive.

But hey, nice to know that IWBVU.

The public are running the NHS into the ground

Yes, bloody public, with their illnesses, injuries, having babies and living till they're well past their sell-by dates. [hmmm]

The government are running the NHS into the ground by not adequately funding it and bringing in privatisation by stealth. NHS managers aren't helping either.