Boots withdrawing dossette box service

[Itsnotallaboutmoney]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61881272.amp

Name changed for this as I really don’t mind it ending up in the Daily Fail for once.

I seriously cannot believe what Boots are planning. For those of us who have elderly parents (particularly with memory issues) who we are trying to persuade to allow help in the home (to no avail) this is a kick in the teeth. Whilst I understand it’s probably time-consuming etc to fill the boxes, the sheer danger of missed tablets, overdosing or the wrong combination as a duty of care from a profession surely outweighs the cost-saving element of providing this service. My in-laws both currently have memory issues and without this service, the lady who comes in to help each day would not have a clue as to what they have taken each day. My own parents at-home care service will not distribute any meds not in a pharmacy-filled dossette box. So where do the elderly and vulnerable go from here?

This morning I couldn’t imagine anything getting me more wound up than having to book a hotel stay in order for my child to get to a public examination today.. but here we are. I sincerely hope Boots have not tried to sneak this in on a day when everyone is watching the rail strike hoping no one has noticed 😡

I think you can get dosette box medicines from online pharmacies:

E.g. nhs.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk/pill-box

Other pharmacies are available, but that's the one I have seen before.

I’ve never been in a position to need these either for myself of family so don’t know much about them, but was this service free? If so, I can understand then trying to introduce a charge, as most shops don’t provide time consuming services for free, but withdrawing the option all together seems harsh.

If other pharmacies are still providing the service for free, use them instead.

I hope other pharmacies don’t follow suit, would be a nightmare! I work in older persons mental health and many care agencies won’t manage medication unless it’s in blister pack and patients living alone with lots of tablets benefit from blister packs.

From the article, it doesn't sound like they're being withdrawn. Boots are just checking it's actually the most suitable option, and will continue to provide it if it is.

Have you actually been told that they won't do them for your parents? As they aren't stopping them completely, just where they are not appropriate and for people that don't really need them. It's such a costly thing for pharmacies to do as they aren't paid by the nhs to do it which means they loose money on them and time that could be better spent with patients.

There's another system where they come in a roll of pouches, each marked with time and date to take them.

They are useful.

Oh this is a shame. I understood that the NHS paid the pharmacies to prepare fill seal and deliver the dosette boxes. We certainly were hugely grateful for this service for my late mother.

It is a massive faff and I can see the monetary return might not cover the costs.

Basically someone will have to load up the pillboxes. I do mine myself, as I'm able.

It's just one company doing that - most local pharmacies will do this for you, plus lots of the bigger companies who you'll find via Google search for free online-based pharmacy services.

It's inconvenient because you'll need to reorganise this with a new company, but it's not a total withdrawal of access to this service for the entire country.

YANBU. My partner does it for me, but it should absolutely be available for elderly people, or younger disabled people who don't have a very much trusted family member with time to help them.

Boots are already not allowing anyone new to have dossette boxes. I came out of a psych hospital 2 years ago. I had been in hospital for 3 years. I always had dossette boxes from hospital when I was on leave. I am on a lot of different meds and I struggle to manage them. My Care Co tried to help sort it by explaining to the pharmacists that I needed a dossette but no pharmacies would do dossette boxes. So I miss meds, I can't remember if I've taken some but can't tell like you can with a dossette box. It is a nightmare.

Dp's dd has a one of these for her 20+ meds per day, her care agency requires it. We can cope with boxes bug rotating carers that sometimes only visit the once need these to ensure they don't make mistakes, and a mistake could land her in hospital. Of course if only proper care was available in your own home for severely disabled young adults she could have lived with us but it's not, we have jobs so can't provide 24/7 care

I would happily pay! But it is just a blanket no.

Loads of online pharmacies will still dispense in dosette boxes, if people are having trouble finding a local one that will do it.

@UndertheCedartree Are you able to get your own weekly box and either full it yourself or ask someone to help you? Not as good I know but might stop you missing doses. My gran used to do it for my grandad

My Care Co have told Boots (and other pharmacies) I need a blister pack but it is just a blanket refusal. So they could just say it's not the most suitable option. Not that I know what that means. As far as I've been told it is just blister pack or no blister pack.

Where can you get those from?

I'm not able to do my own and have noone to help.

I haven't been able to find a pharmacy that will do blister packs.

I can't manage it myself and I don't have anyone who can do it. It's not like you could ask anyone, they'd have the time to do it regularly and be able to get their head round multiple medications and all sorts of different times and knowing if they got it wrong it could have serious consequences.

My fear is that other pharmacies will follow suit. For those who are suggesting ‘you can do it yourself’ the issue is, most care companies are not insured or willing to issue drugs which have not been prepared by a pharmacist. And if the pharmacies no longer provide the service, what happens to the most vulnerable in society ?

Sorry if this sounds stupid. So do you sign up to one the same way you do at an in person one? How do they check id?

I fill my pills weekly in a plastic box with the days written on so I don't miss anything.
You could fill the boxes for your family each week.
Like this

And that is quite right. Filling someone's dossette box is taking on a huge responsibility. Nurses have to train for 3 years to be able to dispense medications. I think pharmacists should do it to prevent errors. I mean the people that have been given blister packs get them because they are on multiple medications at multiple times a day.

What if you don't have family who can do it? Or they don't want to take responsibility for something going wrong if they make an error while filling it?