Over a week ago I put my request in for my repeat prescription, as I do every month. It's antidepressants, tranquillisers, pain tablets and migraine tablets.
I got the 'approved' notification (it's done on my GP surgery app) and so went to collect the prescription from my usual chemist. However:
The 'system is down, we can note down your NHS number so you can collect from a different chemist or you can come back another time'. I stupidly decided to leave it a couple of days as I couldn't really get to another pharmacy that day. This was Friday.
Monday comes around (and I'm suffering bad side affects from withdrawals) thank god I can collect my meds today...nope! ' I'm sorry our system is still down' I feel sorry for the staff as some people are kicking off and accept their offer of my NHS number and travel across town to Superdrug. 'I'm sorry but there's no medication been actioned on your records'
I go outside, connect to Wi-Fi and take screenshots proving that my repeat has indeed been approved and head to Boots as I assume there was something wrong with Superdrug's 'system'.
In Boots I'm told the same thing. I show my screenshots. Chemist was confused as to why it isn't showing on my records and I'm advised to go to back to my usual chemist
I return to my usual chemist. 'I'm so sorry our system is still down, I recommend going to your GP surgery and asking their advice as to what's gone on'
I go. The waiting room is full. You are supposed to book GP appointments on their app or ring at 8 in the morning but I only wanted to ask this query. As I'd been recommended to do. The receptionist finally calls me over. I explain clearly and as best I can. She asks what exact meds I've requested. Embarrassed in front of everybody, I list off what I need. Her face shifts. 'So basically you're walking in off the street and asking me for all these meds?' In a shitty tone. 'No, there has been some kind of mix up and I'm just trying to get to the bottom of it. I was sent here from the chemist. here is my phone with the proof of my approved prescription on it' and hold up my screenshots which show: my repeat prescription, the word 'approved' and the name of the GP who did so, date and time. She sighs, 'what meds did you say again' and I point to my phone trying not to cringe at all these strangers listening to my personal info. 'I'm not looking at your phone. Tell me' so I tell her once again the list of meds. She suddenly leaned forward and said 'you've never had a repeat prescription....have you?' I was speechless. I still had my phone in my hand so held it up. 'Of course I have, I've been on these tablets for years'. She asks if I'm a new patient at the practice. I explain I'm relatively new, since Xmas time but have had two lots of prescriptions since then with no problems at all. 'I don't know what you want me to do' she says. 'Please, if there anyone I can speak to, I really need to be on my tablets it's dangerous to suddenly come off them'. She says 'what do you mean, I'm speaking to you now'. I see I'm getting nowhere and walk away almost crying. I feel like I must be going mad.
I got home and sent a request via the app, explaining the situation. I received this response, 'as a new patient you require a Gp appointment before we can sign off a new prescription'. Wtf...I feel stuck. What the hell do I do from here? I don't want to waste a GP appointment which someone may need because of some kind of misunderstanding, or face that woman again. And I'm not a new patient. And I've had this prescription twice since joining the surgery. And my latest prescription HAS been signed off. The screenshots are clear. I've sent them to a friend to make sure I'm not actually losing it and they are as confused as I am as to why I'm not able to just collect my medications.