Or are GP Surgery...Contraception

[Kaboni19]

I haven't had to go to my current GP surgery often so I'm still getting to grips with how they operate.

I have a few days left of my contraceptive pill so I've called up for a repeat prescription.
I'm informed that I can't do this, I have to come in and be seen by the nurse to have my blood pressure taken first.
Odd for two reasons, 1) Upon being prescribed this pill in the first instance I was advised to have a nurse appointment but when I turned up for it, receptionist said I actually had to see a GP for prescription first because this surgery hadn't seen me before.
GP appointment wait was terribly long, no one had told me this previously and I had been on this same pill the year before I was pregnant.
Once I told them this they allowed me to see the nurse who just got a doctor to sign the prescription and off I went.
2) No one told me about blood pressure at original appointment AND I have to do this every time I want a repeat of the pill

The worst part is the next available appointment isn't until 24th of October

Is this a rule anyone else has to deal with it?
Do you think I just call back and hope to get a different receptionist in case they're making it up as they go along?

I think the whole thing is utterly ridiculous and they should fully inform patients of stuff like so they can be prepared.

FYI to people mentioning appointments, download and register for the NHS app. SO MUCH EASIER.

I'v been caught out by this before, have either ordered online (once had my blood pressure checked upon collection) or said I need it ASAP and they need to send an electronic prescription.

It's annoying but does need to be done- my gp actually refused to re prescribe the pill for me as it caused by blood pressure to go through the roof. Haven't been on it since.

Just to be clear I understand the health reasons behind this and would much rather have that considered over convenience to me. I’m just having a moan up that it’s the second time they’ve messed me about from providing incorrect information or none at all. So now I’m left in the lurch. Also the fact that previously they tried to obstruct me but then because I was there rather than over the phone, they managed to break these rules they have.... makes me wonder.

I was prescribed a 3 month supply and I’m 25 years old with no health issues.

No chance of prescription while I wait for appointment - before telling me the next available appt receptionist said ‘I hope you’ve not got a few left’ and I confirmed ‘yes unfortunately I have a few days left’
and there was no solution suggested.

Thanks so much for the alternative solutions everyone

I can't believe you left it so late.my gp surgery have always said when you open your final pack, you book to get your repeat/blood pressure etc then no risk of running out

Haven't had this for mine, I'm prescribed desogestrel the first time I got the prescription my blood pressure was checked And I had 3 months prescription, when I got the next ones I was in the doctors for something else so they checked my blood pressure Any way and gave me 6 months prescription, my most recent I filled in an online contraceptive review for my surgery and they sent my prescription directly to my pharmacy for another 6 months

That's a mini pill and doesnt have the same effect on blood pressure as a combined pill would

@1onelyranger Yes it doesn't seem straight forward at all and very annoying!

The pill is cerelle as I'm BF.
I only left it this 'late' because I wasn't made aware that it would be so difficult at this time.
My first mistake was assuming that anything worth mentioning would be mentioned. Next time I won't assume and bring a pad with any potential questions I need answering lol!

You can't say there's no chance of an emergency prescription to tide you over, based on what a receptionist said. In a similar situation I have handed a letter over for my GP, who wrote a prescription the same day.

@Pandaintheporridge Good idea, I'll try that if I can't manage an alternative

Depends on the pill. I never had to with microgynon but did with the depo injection and dianette. I understand it's frustrating because you didn't know but now you do... so just move on and book an appointment earlier next time. My depo appts were madness I had to run back and forth to pharmacies to get the injection, but I just got on with it.

I get a year's supply at a time and I still need my blood pressure checked before I can get a new prescription but at my GP surgery there's a little pod where you can have your weight/blood pressure etc taken and the results go through for a doctor/nurse to check and if it's all good you can get your prescription from reception a few minutes later

I recommend the Lloyd's Pharmacy service. You order online, answer a few questions and then your order gets sent off to be approved by a doctor. You'll then get an email telling you when it's ready to collect, and if you order early in the day it's within a few hours. You can even collect it from some branches of sainsbury's! When you go to collect it, they will take you into a private room and check height, weight and blood pressure before they'll give it to you.

This sounds frustrating! Is there a local family planning clinic where you could get seen quicker? They can usually do same-day at the drop in clinic or appointments within the same week. Some of them have been merged with sexual health clinics but they should still offer contraception.

That sounds pretty shit of your GP. I get six months at a time and only have to have a blood pressure check every other time, and I’m 44.
There’s no point trying to go via Lloyds to avoid it though, they’ll insist on checking your bp as well. And do it with a bad grace and an arsey attitude. At least doctors are nice when you finally get to see them.

The guidance around how the pill is taken changed at the start of the year and GPs should be going through these changes with everyone relevant at the surgery at repeat prescription time so it may be leading to a backlog of appointments at your practice.

www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-release-updated-guidance-combined-hormonal-contraception/

My surgery gives 6 month prescriptions and I need to see the nurse every other time - so every 12 months.
When I've been close to running out and no appointments they have done a months supply to tide me over.

Doobigetta & Losinglola .... thats interesting re Lloyds, Ive been getting cerazette from them since 2015 and they've never taken my blood pressure or weight...wonder if this is something new they've started doing??

I also used to get a years supply and yearly monitoring. I was healthy, under 30 and no other problems so maybe low risk? I guess all trusts have different rules?

Cerelle isnt a combined pill MyReading
Its the mini pill.
Ive never had a bp check for this in the past 5 years of taking it, its notcrequired.
OP just order online -you usually pick it up the next day

I used to get a 6 month supply but nurse check for each prescription. Be thankful you aren't on the medication dd is on, has to see her gp fortnightly and gp phones in the intervening week. Can't complain about the service

@CrazyCatLady159 that depends on area. My local sexual health clinic will only provide the implant or coil. Not the oral or injected contraceptives

Practice nurse here. We would issue a months supply to tide over in these services circumstances and book you an appt.
Pill checks are not just for BP checks. There's a checklist of contraindications for each method the nurse should run through (at least mentally) to check for changes which may mean your pill is now unsuitable, i.e., raised BMI, change in smoking status, new medications, change in family history etc etc. If I see a dozen pill checks in a week, on average there will be two occasions where the current pill is unsuitable.

My surgery is REALLY keen on getting people on the coil. It's not right for me so that's really annoying.

I had an injury last year that the NHS basically ignored and gained weight. Needed a renewal when beginning to lose the weight and they said I could only have 3 months. Then they did the same with blood pressure, even after one nurse telling me to get a home BP machine and get a reading when I wasn't having white coat hypertension. They wouldn't accept that and forced me to do a 24 hour blood pressure test. I don't know why they're so keen to take women off the pill if it works well for them but you're not alone.

For the record, I lost the weight quickly and the 24 hour bp test came back fine, so no, it wasn't a health issue in either case.