Being told to go the pharmacy for cystitis by doctor receptionist

[Musica7474]

I have cystitis. I’ve had it before and had different anti biotic for it- sometimes 2 as it has been resistant to treat.

Ive left it to try and sort it self out for a few days by doing all the right things. It hasn’t.

Receptionist told me pharmacies now deal with cystitis and will advise me. I don’t need advice and I don’t want to be talking about my wee and symptoms in a packed pharmacy.

The receptionist made me feel awful for not wanting to go to the pharmacy and insisting on a doctor’s call( I’d have been happy with a prescription being left at the desk and no call just a gp looking at my records to check which anti biotic is best for me). She said I could have a call this time.🤔

Cystis can be really unpleasant and not great if not treated . Anti biotic are expensive and it’s not great to take several, I don’t think women should be made to feel like shit for wanting treatment for it and a gp to look at her records.

Even longer queue when you ask them to produce a privacy room and to leave the queue in order to give you a private consultation.

They really should go home for their tea...@janiie will be over in a minute to run the whole surgery - doctors, nurses, social prescribers, physios, dieticians, paramedics...it all just takes a couple of clicks of the mouse doesn't it??

I thought you were 'out now'?

Nope, happy ish with gp service thanks and no I'd never go about a broken nail what a ridiculous thing to say.

Pharmacies are not for processing bodily fluids! Are folk to drop stool samples there too? Save the poor HCAs time at the surgery even though it is what they are actually paid to do.

Pharmacies are busy enough.

People like you really annoy me, sorry. I found a lump on my breast, new I had to be referred to the hospital for tests, yet couldn't get an appointment with my GP for 1 week.

To think that people with potential life threatening issues are delayed an appointment because some like you can't be bothered to ask for a private discussion with a pharmacist that can perfectly treat you is quite upsetting.

I know! Oh but it's fiiiiine, keep all those frail oaps waiting a bit longer there's urine to test!

I'd love a pharmacy assistant to come along amd say why on earth they agreed to this.

My GP refused to see me. I had UTI, fever, pain in my back and stomach. I called 111 the prescribed heavy duty antibiotics and told me to go to hospital if I deteriorated.

That's your gps fault not another patients. You think someone with cystitis will be prioritised over someone who found a lump in their breast?!

Does it really have to be private tho it's a common infection not a STI. You only get a curtain in hospital.

Like it or not with an aging population and shrinking NHS work force things have to change, be that paying for a private GP appointment when it's not needed or using alternative services which remain free. Our GP does 24-48hour evonsults for things like this which works great would be happy to pay to make it same day if the service was offered. They also have PA's, nurse practitioners and paramedics who are excellent for 99.999% of things.

Hopefully AI can be integrated to further cut down the need for F2F appointments.

I have a lifelong medical conditoon. Two of the most significant causes of death caused by this condition are UTIs and suicide. I’ve seen a consultant urologist who has prescribed me antibiotics to take at the early stages of infection. A random pharmacist would not be able prescribe what I need, nor would I expect them to. Frequent UTIs also make my condition worse, and in the elderly can lead to delerium and other serious complications… I wish the NHS would take UTIs more seriously.

I didn’t know about pharmacists being able to issue prescription drugs.
If it can be used as an additional option to seeing a GP that is great.
In my area it couldn’t sensibly be used as an alternative.
We have a GP surgery in the village, which has a pharmacy attached to it, but only for medication prescribed by the GP.
Our nearest actual pharmacy is 9 miles away, and not on a bus route, or 11 miles for one accessible by public transport ( buses run every 2-3 hours).
I support anything which will remove pressure from hard pressed GP’s, but it has to be practical. Not everyone can travel to a pharmacy.

Dear @Musica7474 , I'm really sorry you're going through this and of course you should be able to see a doctor, how ridiculous! Please try D-mannose, it saved me. I used to get cystitis more or less every time I had sex, and it was agony. That dread of the first burning wee and knowing it's all going to go downhill! D-mannose is not the same as the bicarb of soda sold in those traditional cystitis remedies, I buy it on Amazon in a pot of powder of 100g costing around 15-20 pounds which lasts for ages. It is a type of sugar with a specific chemical construction. You take about third of a teaspoon in water about 5 times a day. I have no idea how it works but it did work for me, I still take it; literally the problem was gone overnight. I wanted to kiss whoever discovered it, and I have recommended it to a couple of friends who it has also helped. Hope you feel better soon. It is such an underestimated horrible infection which can easily lead to more serious infections..

@Musica7474 Hi, I now take high strength cranberry supplements. Not had cystitis since.

Like you, the "usual" 3 day course of Trimethiprim just isn't enough. But this seems to be working.

That's your gps fault not another patients. You think someone with cystitis will be prioritised over someone who found a lump in their breast?!
No it isn't. OP was told but she insisted. Receptionists are not paid enough to deal with such patients, and doing so is less time talking to other reasonable patients.

Same with doctors. In the end, it's easier to give them a quick call than to deal with receptionists asking what you to do, dealing with complaints etc...

Patients have a responsibility to the good running of GP practices too instead of being selfish.

OP couldn't obtain a "private discussion
She doesn't know since she didn't even bother to ask!

The NHS is such a disaster.

GPs are trying to offload some of the pressure onto Pharmacists, who are also under pressure. Great. My local pharmacy is struggling as it is.

A couple of weeks ago we called 111 for my grandson and they told his parents to see the pharmacist the following morning as they could check if he needed medication.

They took him there and he was sent away, because surprise, they can't prescribe medication to children without them being actually examined and diagnosed first. Waste of time and delayed treatment. Clearly 111 call handlers need more training on what pharmacists will and won't do.

The receptionist is total correct.

OP there are a few self help threads on here offering the usual advice -
drink copiously - filtered water, strong coffee, cranberry juice/tablets
from the Health Shop, Bells, sit in a shallow bath with vinegar, splashing
yourself, lie down, take a painkiller, many steps to ameliorate the discomfort.

Constant antibiotic usage is not good as this can cause thrush.

Cystitis or UTI needs speedy attention as you will know, so do what it takes
without being a princess, pharmacists have heard much worse.

You can order trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin online - no need to see a pharmacist or a doctor. If you have the NHS app you should be able to view all your records so you can see which ones you’ve taken previously.

Doesn't she mean the pharmacist will prescribe the antibiotics? Give the pharmacy a call and see. In my GP it used to be that you dropped off a urine sample, they would test it then send the prescription straight to the pharmacy if needed, so wouldn't surprise me if this has changed to the pharmacy directly prescribing the antibiotics instead now

I worked as a pharmacy dispenser, whenever we dispense your medication we can see the entire dispensing history and where it was dispensed. The antibiotics you have will be clearly visible to all with access. Not sure why your GP said your pharmacist would only prescribe one antibiotic as that doesn’t make sense at all. If you are treatment resistant, you’re almost better cutting out the middle man (the GP) and going straight to the pharmacist as the GPs will almost certainly consult the pharmacists for advice. I also don’t understand why you think your GP practise is bound by confidentiality anymore than the pharmacy? All health care professionals bound by the same rules. It sounds like you’re just being a bit fussy OP. And this comes from a chronic UTI sufferer. I also find it strange that you don’t know the name of the antibiotic you have issues with.

OP, have you considered ‘going private’ which might suit you better,
being so special an’ all, help out the NHS and beleagured Pharmacists
at the same time, a public and heroic move in fact

It is standard practise here in Scotland to go to your named chemist for minor treatment and issues.