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.

While they can treat a lot of women with uncomplicated cystitis if you have previously had problems with certain antibiotics they will probably refer you back to your GP who may want to send a urine sample to the lab to see what antibiotic will be effective.

Whenever I’ve had a UTI, before the pharmacy scheme came in, the GP has insisted I take a urine sample in, so they can do a culture and make sure they’ve given me the right antibiotic. It seems odd that you don’t have to take one in till Monday.

The pharmacist at my GP surgery saved me from having to have a monitor fitted in my chest to find out why I was getting arrhythmias. I’d had test after test and hundreds of scans over a period of two years, then I moved house and changed GPs. The pharmacist phoned me to go through the extensive amount of meds I was taking and said “ooh be careful with this one, because it can cause arrhythmias.” No one had picked it up, not even the cardiologists at the hospital. I was so annoyed because I’d spent 2 years thinking I had something wrong with my heart when I’d reacted to a drug.

Pharmacists are highly trained professionals who are worth their weight in gold. It’s so ignorant to think they just chuck a few meds in a bag.

OP wrote that hers doesn't have consulting rooms just a very long queue
Firstly, there might very well be one behind what OP is able to see. It was indeed the case with the pharmacy to go and get a private covid test. I had no idea they had that room and couldn't see it at all from the counter.

For two, OP could have elected to go to another pharmacy.

And even if this wasn't an option, I'm sure the pharmacist could have found somewhere quite for a 2 minutes chat.

OP made it clear the only option was willing to consider was a GP appointment.

I got a private prescription for ABX online. It cost me £35.

If you explained your history to the receptionist, she was wrong to suggest pharmacist. They are very limited in which antibiotics they can prescribe for cystitis, whether they can see your records or not. They would os sent you back to GP. You did the right thing OP. You can't just hear "cystitis" and assume one treatment suits all. People are individuals with their own history.

I went straight to the pharmacy and by passed docs , they only give a 3 day course .
turns out I needed a longer course ( 7 days ) so I ended up having to call the docs in the end anyway.

This I used to get it a lot and my GP said ‘when we have finished ‘ this course I am going to order you another prescription. Ring every time from then that you get it as you always need some in the cupboard. It cleared up when I stopped having sex but I still have some in the cupboard

This. Everyone seems to have assumed that because the system is now that ‘pharmacists can treat UTIs’ they can treat all UTIs. They can’t. It’s uncomplicated UTIs with a first line antibiotic. Which is not what the OP needed. She’d have just wasted time by going to a pharmacist who sent her back to the GP.

This! Have all the people being unpleasant to the op about her 'minor' problem actually read what she said or suffered from recurring infections requiring different treatments, or suffered from complications from cystitis. The op is not being unreasonable!

I have been to see my Pharmacist for the same reason this week. He prescribed me 3 days of antibiotics, and said that if it doesn't clear, or comes back within 6 months I will have to make an appointment with the doctor. If you have past form for the first round of antibiotics failing, I agree that this is just a waste of time and money, and you should be allowed to see a doctor.

You can't please some people. After complaints about not being able to get a doctor's appointment a way has been found for people to access medical treatment easily and quickly. Only certain pharmacists are trained for this and the majority will take you to a private area where you can be assessed. The idea is to take the pressure off doctor surgeries so they can concentrate on other ailments. But people still like to moan and complain. Think that the world revolves around them and their problems

As someone who suffers from persistent UTI’s I went to the pharmacy yesterday to get more antibiotics. Because I had been more than twice in the last 6 months they referred me to the GP and I couldn’t actually get them at the pharmacy.

Im on long term antibiotics for UTI’s and have even had treatment to my bladder for them, but they always seem to creep back up.

Pharmacists usually only treat uncomplicated UTIs in women where it's the first UTI you've had for a year or more and you don't have any other complicating factors like pregnancy.

My pharmacist won't treat me for cystitis as I get it very frequently (I think 12 UTIs in an 8 month period is my record) and have a history of kidney infections with it. Also, am under urology for long term treatment.

And I'm pregnant.

Oh for goodness sake I’ve done all that as had cystitis several times. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t When it takes hold as it has done this time you need antibiotics!!!! Hope you don’t work in a pharmacy.🙄

This.

Not in the UK and the very idea of a pharmacy taking on this role is unthinkable here.

I also have breast cancer so of course I sympathise with your distress at having your appointment delayed.

However, I don’t blame people for wanting an appointment with a doctor.

I blame those who are responsible for running down the health services.

The powers-that-be want us to blame each other for their shortcomings, vested interests and lack of compassion.

I rest my case

Have you tried D- Mannose? A total game changer here. Cranberry, sachets etc never worked for me. 30 years of intermittent cystitis, it's been life changing. But you need to take it fast and early when you feel that first "twinge". Probably too late in this instance if in an infection has taken hold. It might ease the pain though.
From requiring antibiotics 4-5 times per year I've needed one course in the past two years. It was recommended by a urologist. Can be bought online - check out the reviews! Caveat- not suitable for diabetics as it contains sugars.

They all have a private consulting room

At my practice the pharmacist would have phoned the GP with their advice as to the best medication which the GP would have prescribed and sent straight back. They would not have sent to the GP. People are indeed individuals with their only history as the pharmaceutical specialist knows!

Apologies I have not read the full thread - but thought it would be helpful to post the Pharmacy First Algorithms.

That way If anyone has any red flag symptoms or are not suitable for the Pharmacy Pathway they can tell the receptionist.

An no OP - you are not unreasonable. Having pharmacy as an option is fine for many people. It is less fine if you can't see your GP.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PRN00936_ii_Pharmacy-First-Clinical-Pathways-v.1.6.pdf

I hope these help.

But even if the pharmacist can't sort it, you don't need to see a GP, a nurse prescriber/ANP could deal with it.

What a waste of time. Far better for the patient to have a 2 minute call with the GP herself thus freeing up the pharmacist to speak to somebody else who may not even need the alleged private room facility ( I have never been told about or seen) when there is a queue of people in said very small pharmacy.

I don't understand what you are moaning about. You got a GP appointment so what's the problem.
You sound really rude, complaining about nurses, receptionists, pharmacists, other people who work in the pharmacy.
A pharmacist is a professional and even if you can't see it there will be somewhere private where he looks at your records. They aren't going to share it with the whole shop. FFS.

Patients don't have to self diagnose in the UK. We just get referred to specialists for our symptoms so they can assess the patient. So musculoskeletal issue - straight to a specialist rather than having to wait to see a GP and then wait to see a physio. Mental health - straight to a CPN rather than wait to see GP and then wait for referral to see CPN.

I appreciate not everywhere has this full service up and running. This is how it works at my surgery.