Shocking GP has put me at risk - check your own repeat prescription!

[edam]

I am HORRIFIED (and frightened) by what my GP has done. I have epilepsy. Went to the pharmacy to pick up my repeat prescription for the antiepileptic drug on which, ultimately, my life depends. And the safety of my 2 year old ds.That's not an exaggeration.

Pharmacist put the scrip in a paper bag. Wasn't until I got home I discovered he'd dispensed a different drug - the generic version (like a supermarket own brand)instead of the brand name. The GP had done this without checking with my neurologist, without warning me, let alone with my consent.

Had to take the new drug last night as had run out of old supply - that's what I have a repeat prescription, FFS.

Today went to pharmacist, who told me Department of Health insists they dispense generics where available unless the prescription specifically says brand name. Because it's cheaper. Actually I knew this was a general rule, but never dreamt they'd do this with life-threatening conditions with no consultation with the specialist, or warning. My medicine has just come off-licence so generics now available. I've had to come home, phone my neurologist, and then call the surgery, and will have to go back to the pharmacy this afternoon and HOPE the pharmacist's order has come in. So I can take the drug which I am prescribed, which I have always been prescribed, and which my safety depends.

How dare they? How dare they change my prescription without talking to my neurologist? Epilepsy isn't something GPs handle, FFS, the neurologist is in charge.

If I wasn't a medical journalist, if I didn't know that generic anticonvulsants are NOT identical to the brand name, if I hadn't heard that late last year people with epilepsy were harmed by generics being dispensed (didn't think it applied to me as it was a different drug)... then my life would be at risk. And my ds's - what if I had a seizure and dropped him? Or injured him? Or left him unsupervised due to unconsicousness and he hurt himself? Or just bloody terrified him by having a seizure in front of him? Or died - it does happen.

If you have repeat prescriptions for a serious medical condition, please check your prescription before you leave the pharmacy.

My brother's GP spent the best part of a year refusing point blank to prescribe the doasge of thyroxine that his specialist had specified (he had his thyroid removed and irradiated because of thyroid cancer, which requires a different thyroxine regime from regular hypothyroidism). It took several letters from the specialist of increasing levels of stroppiness before the GP would stop insisting that he knew best.

I'll tip him off about the generics too. The last thing he needs now he's finally got the correct dosage prescribed is some duff batch messing up his levels.

This is awful and shocking Edam, I do hope you write about it.

Well, I think I might investigate the issue of informed consent. Which could be key here and which my contacts tell me hasn't been seen as an issue. Bet the courts would think different if it came up, though.

This is awfil Edam, I'm glad you're going to get behind it. Let us know how you get on. I'll have to check Ds's anticonvulsants.
How can you tell if it's a generic? I think they have already done it with his sodium valproate, because the bottles no longer say 'Epilim' - but this drug wan't working for him anyway. I think, judging by the lack of any brand name on the bottle, his latest drug has been a generic from the start.

Wow. I had NO IDEA that in so many important cases generics were not the same as branded, what horrific situations for you both edam and pph. I think you will be doing the public at large a big favour by writing about this long and loud edam, I was really shocked to read this.
We are fortunate enough not to be affected by this in my immediate family but my elderly parents, who move to be near us soon, are on a variety of medication (including thyroxine in my mother's case) and I will be double-checking their prescriptions for them.
(Congratulations to you both by the way )

Edam, I've emailed lou and told her you were concerned for her - she's very grateful.

Hi, been away on holiday so only just seen this. Thanks for emailing Lou, Droile, hope she's OK.

I've just seen this thread by chance, sorry to hijack it, but - pph, I didn't realise your ds went through such a horrible experience with the dud thyroxine. God, that's such a nightmare. What was the company name on the packet? Did you have a test scheduled? We get 3 months' supply at a time but 6 months between tests now and currently have packets from a company called 'APS'. You must have been so angry and worried. I'm really shocked that it could happen at all.