Fed up with GP making it awkward to get repeat prescriptions

[Pringleface]

I had to have yet another argument with the surgery today over repeat prescriptions for HRT and I’m so done with it.

I get three months’ worth at a time and it’s rarely without some kind of argument. They won’t let you order repeat prescriptions for HRT online, you have to phone. Except the surgery has a policy of forcing people wanting repeat prescriptions to come in personally and fill in a form. So literally every time I call to order them, I get told I have to come in. I tell them actually, I’ve been told to phone and then there’s a load of back and forth and then I get the impatient, long suffering sigh and they stroppily tell me they’ll put it through this time only.

I have repeat prescriptions for a couple of other meds and there’s never any problem with those. Pop on the website, tick a box to order, bang, they’re in the pharmacy two days later. But HRT? No, let’s just make it as awkward as possible. I know there’s no answer here but I’m just so fed up with it.

Our surgery don’t take any prescription request over the phone.
HRT is never on repeats, I have to book to have a review every 6 months, but since covid this at least is now over the phone & I just let them know my BP reading.

If you know the surgery procedure for HRT it’s a bit shitty to take it out on the receptionist, who is just following instructions.

Weird, I can order my repeat HRT prescription on the NHS app. Maybe make an appointment to see the doctor and get them to explain/ sort it

NICE guidance says a surgery must review HRT and check blood pressure once a year (and BMI if HRT is the oral form)
Your surgery might not put it on repeat to ensure reviews get done. Our surgery did not have any HRT on repeat during the shortages and only issued 3 months at a time but are now starting to issue six months and review it once a year

All il can say is that I sympathise. DD has ADHD. She's 17 now. People with ADHD often have trouble planning ahead, organising and managing their time. She's had to give me signed authority to manage her health / prescriptions because the process for getting the ADHD meds is so stringent. We only get one months worth at a time. Sometimes we can order a repeat on the app but its never consistent. They no longer accept email or phone requests so she's expected to manage her time enough to go in ever 4 weeks and get the medication ordered. Sometimes they accept the repress prescription form and then text asking to have an appointment which can take 2 weeks to arrange. Surgery open 9-6 weekdays only. She's at school 8.30-4.30 plus sports training, singing, drama practice and driving lessons all after school. Just how is she expected to plan and organise this, especially with ADHD? I'm extremely organised and have to put a 2 hour slot in my work diary every 4 weeks to manage it. Ridiculous.

I wish there was more consistency around HRT prescribing.

My surgery won't allow anything other than monthly prescriptions, even though I never actually speak to or see a pharmacist or doctor each time. I just call up and get a prescription. I can't see why they won't let me have 3 months at a time seeing as no one is bothered checking in with me anyway. Saying that, I've never seen a doctor or pharmacist whilst going on HRT.

I can order oestrogel and utrogestan on the NHS app but only three months at a time so am looking forward to the HRT certificate. I sometimes have to submit a home blood pressure reading. I can’t request testosterone, have to call them up for that.

Try emailing the practice manager

Ours sorted mine out and now there's no more faffing

I didn’t ‘take it out’ on anyone at all. I had to explain yet again that I’d been told by the doctor to call for HRT repeats instead of visiting the surgery in person. They were stroppy with me, not the other way around.

I think I will email the practice manager and ask if they can either make the process consistent with their policy or allow repeats to be ordered online. It makes no sense that you can’t - other meds require a periodic review so there’s no reason HRT couldn’t be done the same way to provide blood pressure readings.

I have had this battle just this morning!

I am in Scotland - there is no NHS app. We have a website called Patient Access where I can log in and see what is listed on repeat and that's just my blue inhaler and a strong antihistamine which I had prescribed once only in 2017!

HRT not on there at all. I have phoned and left a message asking for them to issue a repeat prescription. I use Estradot which is really hard to get hold on, I have about 4 weeks' patches left so I have to be on the ball as I cannot risk running out.

Would make sure to order repeats for HRT separately from anything else from 1st April... I'm sure I read somewhere that to get it on the prepaid 2 charges for the year thing it had to be on a separate prescription. ( £9.65 per item from 1st April... so not sure it will be £18.70...

My GP sent me an EMIS login and now I just order them online. Life changing.
Can your GP not do that?
I thought it was a universal service.

There is no "universal" system. Each of the four nations of the UK is different, each GP practice is run as an independent business and does things its own way. Drives me nuts when people post on MN things like "can't you fill in an e-consult" when the ONLY way to contact my practice is by phone.

That's why I asked. I'm talking about England.
So not all GPs use this service?

It's ridiculous. Just sign up and get going? Or why hasn't the NHS mandated it?

I thought EMIS was used by all practices but obviously not done extensive research hence I asked here. I didn't know about it until my GP told me you see.

I knew about EMIS but not about getting a login and requesting prescriptions online.

They use SystemOnline for most repeat prescriptions but they won’t add HRT to it - I’ve asked.

I’ve been mulling this over and I think I’m going to email them to ask again if it can be added to the online requests, find out what the objection is to adding it and see if anything can be done to mitigate that. As I said before, they have periodic reviews for other meds so it shouldn’t be any different for HRT.

Ask them why OP. Most surgeries around my area do something similar so there must be a reason for it? See what they say.

I’ve been on HRT for nearly three years following a full hysterectomy. I had to take it for 6 months before the op alongside an injection to force my body into early menopause ( 1 was 37 when everything came out).

Always ordered through Well Pharmacy or Boots online monthly alongside my other meds ( 11 different types!) but I’ve never ever had an issue and come to think of it, the surgery has NEVER asked me to come for a review or check up in all that time specifically for HRT. Must be different depending what area you’re in! Definitely ask them if there’s another way of doing things because that sounds really stressful!

Mine I can request on Klinik but have to tell them my weight and blood pressure and how I’m doing with it any niggles or issues. My only issue is they don’t tell you if/when it’s been issued. But I worked out if I log onto nhs I can see my history and the last time it was issued. When then update I go to pharmacist.

My GP practice won't prescribe HRT on repeat as they have a requirement to make blood pressure checks. Pre pandemic I used to have a face to face GP appointment every 6 months which was a waste of an appointment. I now take my BP readings at home, email them and the prescription is sent directly to my nominated pharmacy. It's much better. Only downside is that they now only prescribe 3 months supply so it's costing me twice as much.

My gp use systmonline and there is a place I can tick other and then write the details in - I've recently had a short term prescription of a painkiller not available on repeat but when I do that they accept it. I tried for my son and they rang me to discuss before filling the prescription but at least they rang me rather than the other way round.

It's pretty standard not to take repeat requests over the phone, I'd also ask their reasoning for not allowing online orders. If they use systemone they can set a date or number of orders after which it can't be ordered until there's been a review, for example.

It's pretty standard not to take repeat requests over the phone

At my GP it's the ONLY way to make a repeat request! Not just for HRT, but for most prescriptions. You leave a message with your details and they sort it out. Usually.

After phoning yesterday morning I had a call from the nurse which I missed so there is obviously some problem - probably blood pressure as it's a year since i had it done.

I have problems with this too. I order through an app and on one occasion was able to order it but on other occasions, it’s been cancelled off my repeat request with no communication to let me know until I go to pick it up and find it’s missing 😡 I also have to take it alongside Utrogestan which is allowed to be part of my repeat prescription but is no use without the accompanying Oestrogel. It’s the lack of communication that annoys me.

That's bad of them, it's very much against general policy to do so. Also more of a pain I imagine for requester!

It's a total pain. My GP is very "technophobic" compared with others I read about on here - they don't do online anything, on email or online forms to fill in for triage. The only way of making an appointment is calling and sitting in a queue. They don't have a menopause clinic, or any doctor (think there are 5 or 6 of them) with any interest in menopause. So it does feel like it's a constant battle.

Even though I get free prescriptions as I am in Scotland, when my preferred HRT is available I just order it online and pay for it as it's less stressful.