Any Pharmacists or GPs who can explain what this means please?

[MyVisionsComeFromSoup]

Currently prescribed pregablin, which is changing to a class C drug in April. A letter came in the post today from the GP (they're closed till Monday, otherwise I'd ring and ask them) saying
"it will be illegal to supply Pregablin through repeat dispensing. Note that we are no longer able to issue prescriptions for these drugs using the electronic prescription service (EPS)".

Does that mean I need to
a: see a GP in person every 28 days to get a repeat prescription
b: can request a repeat prescription online, but need to pick up a paper copy from the surgery and take it to the pharmacy myself
c: the surgery sends over a paper prescription (after my online request) to my usual pharmacy, or
d: the surgery sends over a paper prescription (after a paper repeat request)?

I'd been assuming that the EPS was the surgery sending my prescription over automatically part, and that being able to order repeat online was a separate GP surgery thing, but am I getting confused? Are they actually saying they can't do repeats at all, and i need to see the GP every four weeks? That's going to be a total nightmare, as there aren't very often available appointments - currently there are just 6 individual appointments available in four weeks time []shock]. Or is "repeat dispensing" not what I think it is?

TIA

I'm guessing C

Don't know if you take it for epilepsy or another condition but this is on the Epilepsy Action website

www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/news/epilepsy-medicines-pregabalin-and-gabapentin-be-reclassified-class-c-drugs-help-minimise

Unlikely to be A.
Won't be B (as that would mean they couldn't control so well if you did it online)
Prob not C for same reason
More likely D

Why not call them and ask?

thanks both, mixed response. At least that means it's not just me who doesn't understand the letter .

Jingling I will ring them on Monday when they're next open, but if I need to juggle the 3 working days they need to currently send my prescriptions over to the pharmacy, also bearing in mind this next repeat can be ordered online on a Saturday, but they won't start processing it till the Monday, I'm potentially going to be a couple of days short of tablets, so need to start periodically missing doses starting pretty soon, and weekends are better for that than weekdays when I need to work.

Every 28 days will probably work OK if I can get the repeat date to move to a Monday, then collect the tablets on a Thursday, or even better a Tuesday to avoid bank holiday delays. But there's no slack built into the system at all . I suppose if I have a paper prescription, I can try other pharmacies if the one I usually use doesn't have any in stock, which has happened occasionally. Or if the prescription has got lost in the system somewhere (has also happened before).

If it is C I assume (if it's anything like how I order my son's medication) you will be able to order the prescription in plenty of time although the pharmacy may then hang onto it/not hand it over until they feel is necessary I order tablets online on a Sunday a week before they are needed The prescription is always ready for me by the Wednesday although I tend to wait until the Thursday before I collect it.

You may find that you will need an appointment with a GP before this happens in order to establish that this is the right medication for you as the change is class is all about preventing the misuse and deaths from it.

Hi, I take pregabalin, and my GP stopped doing repeat dispensing before I joined so I have never been under that system. I have an option of requesting online, dropping a request form into the surgery or phoning to request my medications 7-10 days before they run out. I don't have to see the GP each time.

It must have been option C, because I picked up my pregabalin from the pharmacy with my other stuff at the same time. The only difference I noticed this time when I requested pregabalin, was that I was told it could be refused if the GP thought I had requested it too early (I forgot I had a strip in my gym bag!). I also had to put an extra signature as it is a controlled drug.

I think that GPs are fairly aware of who needs pregabalin for legitimate reasons. Mine is happy for me to alter my dose when my pain varies. I asked for some 50mg tablets because I was a bit worried about running out (and so I can take a bit more when my pain is worse) and she was happy to give them to me in a telephone appointment.

I take pregabalin. It is still on my repeat prescription (along with tramadol another controlled drug). I've not been told that the process will change and am assuming that as they are happy to issue tramadol on repeat that they will do the same for pregabalin. I am only prescribed 28 days worth of all of my medicines anyway so that won't change. The pharmacy is in the drs surgery so they would collect any scripts from reception.

When I collected pregabalin last week I had to sign the CD box on the prescription so has it already been re classified? I've not had to do it for that before.

I take tramadol for back pain and I put in a written request when I need it, just shove it into the prescriptions box. They then send the prescription to be filled at the pharmacy within 4-5 days.
The GP doesn't have time to see everyone on these drugs every 4 weeks and they will let you know if they need to see you to review.

My prescription for tramadol isn't on repeat.

All of my medications are on line. I just tick whichever I want to order and then collect them from the on site pharmacy. Tramadol and pregabalin included.

Hi I work in a GP surgery: the answer will be C most likely unless the pharmacy will collect for you as they'll have to sign it out. Either way it'll need collecting from the surgery.

C

As it will be a CD it cannot be sent EPS and must be a printed paper prescription. The pharmacy will still be able to collect it from the surgery after it is issued. You can put the request in however you like. Our pharmacy actually does an advanced repeat prescription ordering service for DC’s CD. We don’t have to do anything, just turn up to the pharmacy and collect every 28 days.

I am a pharmacist in a GP surgery and agree with others. If the transition goes smoothly it will be C. You will only be able to have one months worth at a time which will be a change if you are used to getting 2 months at a time.
Depending on what computer system your practice uses pilots of electronic prescribing of controlled drugs are being rolled out across the country so it may go back to the system you’ve been used to soon. But either way if they organise it properly you shouldn’t need to do any more work than you currently do. I would make your pharmacy aware that you would like them to collect your pregabalin prescription from the surgery - in case they’ve assumed you’re going to do it yourself.

Fab, thanks everyone, I just panicked a little bit at the "no repeat" bit! So I need to check how the paper prescription gets to the pharmacy, either via me, or via their collection system. Going back to 28 days will be annoying, but needs must, I suppose.

Yes it's C but they may decide to put it under regular review (say every 3rd month you need to see a GP)
I have had this with other controlled drugs before, they are extra thorough and have regular reviews even if your health condition won't change.

My gabapentin is the same. I can request it electronically but I have to collect the prescription from the gp and sign for it. I also have to show ID at the pharmacist and it has to be made up there and then, you can't drop it off and collect it the next day.

just an update, turns out it was option C as you all thought, although nailsathome I didn't need to show any ID at the pharmacy, they were obviously happy I was who the prescription said I was.

The every 28 days thing is going to be a pain though, especially since it's not every 28 days, it's every 29 days, as although the last prescription was issued on a Monday, the next one is going to be a Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday and so on, so I'm going to have to either try arguing it out at the surgery, or take three tablets less a month in order to build up a stock to cover me for when we get to a weekend .