AIBU to expect my surgery to sort out my gabapentin prescription?

[HangryBrickShark]

To think that the doctors can't sort out my prescription correctly?

I've gone down from 900mg of gabapentin a day to 300mg a day by titrating my medication over many months.

I've discussed doing this with a doctor at the surgery who 'made notes' on the system to reflect that I wanted to reduce my dosage (due to increased risk of dementia which can be caused by more than 10 prescriptions of the drug). I've been on it around 12 yrs now.

I had a medical review over the phone about 18 months ago and said I needed more 100mg because I couldn't split the 300mg capsule I still took at night. However every month I'd find I ran out of the 100mg and had to take a 300mg until I could reorder. Once I had to request an urgent order re our local 'Badger clinic' which is an out of hours service. I had another medical review over the phone and bout 6 weeks ago and stressed they needed to work out the correct amount every month to dispense as i was struggling to make it last.

I have attended the surgery on at least three ocassions to say I was getting very close to running out again and could they please show it as available on the nhs app so I could reorder it. They reordered it for me after a doctor agreed as its a controlled drug.

I sent the surgery an email about 3 weeks ago saying I was nearly running out again and a doctor prescribed me another month's worth which runs out on Monday of next week. Once again the drug is not available for me to reorder until 15th Sept and notes on the NHS Apps say I'mstill on 300mg at night.

I feel like I've done my best to get this sorted but no one is listening to me. The stress of running out and having to rely on taking 300mg which i still have tucked away in my draw is soul destroying after titrating down to a much lower but manageable dose.

Feel like tearing my hair out! AIBU to expect the doctors to work out that i need 90 tablets every thirty days plus enough to last me until someone remembers to put it on the NHS App for me to reorder and give the chemist time to dispense it?

Email for the attention of the practice manager. State you are no longer on 300mg and need your prescription changing, or you will be taking too high a dose of a controlled drug, and that you have requested this multiple times with no action.

I also weaned myself off gabapentin (taking for 5 years and DF in a dementia home!) so I totally understand your frustration.

What is your plan for your next reduction? Is it possible to start dropping the afternoon one, to give you an extra couple of night doses whilst you try to sort this? If you’ve been on this lower dose for 18 months it might not be as hideous as you anticipate. However, I know that you need to feel comfortable and in control when trying to come off this successfully, it’s a hideous drug and I wish I’d never been given it. I was certainly never made aware of the risks of dementia!

I hope you get this resolved asap 🤞🏻

In similar circumstances I put in an official complaint. It seemed to be the only way to get anyone to actually do the right thing.

They apologised and now it’s a lot better

Can you not change pharmacy?
But assuming not, then get the doc to put your 30-day scrip back up again by the necessary margin, though on the understanding you actually treat the increase as exactly that, just a way to circumvent NHS maladministration.
It would be none of the pharmacy’s business, when you reorder at the usual time even though you still have a number of days’ doses in hand to cover their delay.