To be annoyed with GP ?

[inkyspells]

My GP now offers a e consult form when you want an appointment or any help.
Since last Wednesday I’ve had UTI symptoms.
Constantly feeling like a need to urinate ,burning and a sore back.
Ive tried to treat it myself with cranberry juice /water /sachets from Amazon.
Nothing is helping so I completed a e consult form.
Any other time the GP has sent a prescription to my local pharmacy.
Today they sent a text saying sounds like you have a uti and need antibiotics ,find a pharmacy through pharmacy first and go and see them and they will prescribe them.
The issue is I have 2 pharmacy’s that open 9-5 pm which are around 15/20 min drive
I have recently started a new job and I work 9-5 and I have a 20 min break,we are in 6 weeks training and there’s no chance I can get out to go to pharmacy.
My partner was going to collect for me.
I rang GP and explained and receptionist said no you need pharmacy first rather than a GP
aibu to be annoyed ?
The GP has said I need antibiotics but won’t prescribe them.
Im a bit upset tonight,I thought I would of had antibiotics by now and at least kicking in.
The only day I can go is Saturday when I’m off.

Is there no supermarket chemist near you? They have much longer hours, IME

I live in a small village in rural Scotland.
The nearest supermarket pharmacy to me is 100 miles away.

Be reasonable. Not everyone lives in a town.

For future reference, there are online services which offer pharmacy first - not sure I’m allowed to post links, but if you google you’ll find them. They will post out the antibiotics (if deemed required) for free - I’ve used them for NHS contraceptive services and always received them next day. Not as quick as going to the pharmacy of course, but might be an alternative.

I've spoken to pharmacy first over the phone in the past and agreed to send them a summary which they could accept in lieu of a face to face attendance for exam:

3 day history of dysuria, urinary urgency/frequency, no haematuria, no loin pain.
No dyspnoea, no dizziness, no confusion, no drowsiness, no fever, no mottled skin. Systemically well.

Self exam:
Pulse: 67 (reg)
BP:125/78
Temp: 36.8
CRT 2 secs
Abdo soft, mild suprapubic tenderness, no loin tenderness, no masses.

Urinalysis: leucocytes +1, nitrites negative. No blood, no glucose.

Recommendation:
Nitrofurantoin MR 3 days for uncomplicated UTI.
I will report any symptoms of sepsis (as above) or loin pain.
I am aware of 111
I will seek medical advice if not improving in 72 hours.
I am aware that if I develop respiratory symptoms/symptoms of fibrosis as a side effect of nitrofurantoin that I am to stop the tablets and seek immediate help
I am aware of the rules regarding antibiotics stewardship and agree to complete the full course of medication.

They gave me the medication without argument.

If you don't have the expertise to exclude pyelonephritis/sepsis/urinary retention/concerning systemic symptoms yourself, then you should see the pharmacist. Your GP is generally not the person to go to for straightforward conditions, and it is a waste of everyone's time if they are tied up with straightforward stuff like this.

If you're having repeat UTIs, consider asking for ultrasound scan to check kidney/bladder structure normal. Also Chlamydia/gonorrhoea can present with UTI type symptoms in women. Vibration induced urethritis is another one that causes similar symptoms.

OP I literally feel your pain, I have been suffering from frequent UTI's for the past year, it has been flaring up every 3 months or so, possibly due to going through the Menopause.
I used Asda Pharmacy and Superdrug Pharmacy online to get 3 days worth of antibiotics when I couldn't get through to the GP. Slightly more expensive about £23 in comparison to a prescription but getting an appointment with the doctor was so difficult. Thankfully I have in the past week got an appointment and am awaiting test results which will hopefully enable me to be able to get a prescription when required.
UTI's are horrible so I wish you luck in getting things sorted.

GP reception sent me to pharmacy for a UTI (only ever had two in my life). After waiting for ages to see the pharmacist, she told me she couldn’t prescribe because I’m on immunosuppressants for the Crohns.

I had to trail 5 miles across the city to wait for over an hour in the sexual health clinic of a hospital to then be given 5 days of nitrofurantoin rather than 3 because of the Crohns.

Next time, I will just ask for a GP appointment and tell the receptionist I’m on immunosuppressants. Lesson learned!

That’s a broad spectrum AB because you haven’t done a urine sample so they can’t get a more specific AB like trimethoprim which will work with some bacteria and not others.

Is this a joke? A&Es are bursting at the seams, do you watch the news? People are on trolleys in corridors and you recommend someone rocks up to A&E because it’s more convenient than driving to a pharmacy to treat a minor condition she’s already had for 5 days (therefore neither accident nor emergency).

At my surgery - you always get a telephone consult with GP for a UTI who sends you preliminary AB until your sample confirms which AB is appropriate.

I have never been directed straight to a pharmacy for that.

The way OP’s surgery deals with UTIs will lead to AB resistance as they do not appear to be insisting in urine samples to guide prescribing.

This is an unusual choice for a UTI. Only really appropriate if you’ve had previous positive urine samples that confirm susceptibility to Amoxicillin. Otherwise Trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin, or Pivmecillinam are all more appropriate. In fact, even if previous cultures confirmed susceptibility to Amox I’d only expect it to be prescribed if there was resistance to the others, which is very unlikely.

Amoxicillin might work, but there’re a lot of amox resistant UTIs.

Sorry but you're not well, you need medication, you need to take time away from work to do this. It's really not the GP's fault.

Buy them online through e surgery or superdrug etc. Fill out the questions and ay £15-20 for them. I went through a 2 year period of getting them every few months and I sometimes needed the antibiotics on hadn if I couldn't get rid of it within a few days. I had history of kidney infections so sometimes couldn't wait for a pharmacist or a GP appointment.

You can get them online from online pharmacy without a GP prescription (just 3 day supply for UTI)

I would be very concerned about a GP who is prescribing antibiotics without a conversation with a patient. There is a new (Nov 25) national ask / call to action from NHSE around anti- microbial (antibiotic) prescribing, which centres on ensuring antibiotics are prescribed appropriately and that their use is audited. NHS providers have to have 3 pledges developed by April around antibiotics use - all linked to the fact we are heading into an anti microbial resistance crisis.

So your GP is right - you need to see someone, have a conversation and have the right medication (if needed) prescribed. Many pharmacies are open after 5pm and some have appointments/ booking systems.

Say it’s worse than it is, by adding that you’ve got a temperature now?

Oh for fucks sake. You seen to know more about running the NHS and prescribing guidelines than those people actually in the know. As your GP is now dealing with recurrent UTIs they're prescribing a different yet highly suitable abx to lessen the risk of you developing immunity to the abx you usually have. Rotational prescribing.

I'm going to use the polite phrase "I think a private service may be more suitable for your needs".

It also depends on local prescribing policy. After all, guidelines are just that.

YABU for prioritising work over your health.

Yes I have, it’s fine. Amoxicillin has fewer side effects. Just google OP. great you have your AB now, take them, get well soon and please stop whinging

Do you have a walk in centre near you? They are usually open until 7/8

A UTI is neither an accident or an emergency, particularly where reasonable option has been offered, it’s just inconvenient to the OP.

Bless you.

You might do well to pick up the Cystitis Relief 6 Sachets whilst you wait to get help. Please do get treated.

Don't worry I bothered the female GP, had a lecture on how HRT would solve things! won't mind when they don't even run tests to blooming know if indeed you are peri!!! then I went to the chemist on a Sunday morning who were lovely.