Is this ethical?

[Pigeonpair1]

I have been on Citalopram since my husband died a few years ago. Mainly for health anxiety. I used to get repeat prescriptions for a 3 month supply but my doctor has started reducing this to only a month's supply meaning I am paying every month! The last prescription she only gave me 10 tablets. I need to have a phone review and I suspect this is why she is doing it but I don't feel it's right to effevctively withhold a prescription they suggested - aside from the financial aspect!!!

I keep trying to make a phone appointment but each time am holding on for 20 minutes and end up giving up as I need to take a work call or something. It just feels wrong to me.....

It’s not ethical to keep prescribing past a certain amount of time without reviewing you, either. She’s not cutting you off she’s giving you enough to make an appointment, it sounds like you’ve been delaying for several months. I know it’s not easy to get an appointment but that doesn’t mean she can just not review you.

If the cost is an issue would a pre-payment certificate reduce the cost for you? You pay a set cost for unlimited prescriptions for a set amount of time.

It's pretty commonplace for GP's to issue smaller or short-term prescriptions when there is a review of circumstances due, I see it all the time in my line of work, so there's nothing particularly unusual or unethical about that in itself, but it does appear to be a problem given that you are finding it difficult to get in touch with the surgery to arrange the review.

Is it possible that you could ask for a half-day of annual leave or so from your employer so that you would have time to wait longer on the phone? What about writing a short note to the surgery and drop it through their door, asking them to have the doctor call you ASAP, stressing how important and urgent it is and explaining that you are finding it impossible to get in touch with them by phoning yourself?

Is the surgery open, even for an hour, outside of your working hours so you could pop around in person and explain to reception that you need to have a telephone consultation with a GP ASAP, even if it's not to conduct the review itself but just tidy up concerns about the size, frequency, and cost of your prescription?

Thanks all - I did actually end up going in today after another 20 minute wait on the phone. I finally got through to somebody who put me on hold for another 5 minutes before cutting me off. I have a phone appointment for next Wednesday.

I am definitely due a review and completely understand that it would be irresponsible to keep dishing out pills without it but my surgery seems to be making it as difficult as possible to make a phone appointment. You can't do it online and who has the time to wait 20 minutes on hold a few times a day? I work in a School Monday to Thursday so Friday is my only day to try and get though. I am currently eeking out the 10 day prescription by taking them every other day and surely that's not good?

FYI a lot of CCGs now insist GPs only give one month prescriptions, in a national drive to minimise medication waste. So it may not be the individual GPs choice going forward even after your review.