Quick warning re Oushk

[TheBuffetInspector]

They don't have any video consultations available for at least one week. I'd switched to them for price and thinking long term.
I've had to go back to previous supplier - pharmacy 2u. £30 more 🙄

I was looking at Flyde after reading reviews and seeing prices - the website is very, very basic and it turns out they didn't have 12.5 in stock.

So yes, just a heads up.

@KrankyKumquat just message them via WhatsApp if you are close to goal, Hira said in her live she will try to fit people in.

Yes, i am. It's getting a bit worrying tbh. I'm now back all the way to 2.5 and it's not slowing. I can figure out an even lower dose for myself but would rather discuss with a prescriber first. Don't let that worry you too much though - I don't think this happens to many people.

You can discuss spacing out the doses, 2.5 every ten days maybe?

Thank you, hopefully they can sort out a dose that works. It’s crazy to think any of us could be too thin isn’t it? It’s changed my life being this much lighter.

No you are incorrect. Maintenance is for when you reach your target goal and want to start maintenance, I know because I had it 2 weeks ago and paid £5 for it.
A weight verification call is exactly that to verify weight for new and current customers and it's free and i also had thos on saturday.
Then there is the new customer call which is also free. You are misleading other potential and current oushk customers by stating there is a 2 month wait and a cost of £5 for a weight verification call, when it isn't that!
If you need a maintenance call that is different to what this post was about and that is the new weight verification calls. The maintenance calls have been around since last year when they were first set up, they aren't new.
I've been with oushk since January and listen to the live videos so know all about their latest changes.

I booked a next day one. Also they say it won't slow down your next prescription if you can't book one in time.

I was meant to have a maintenance call yesterday, booked months ago. But no one phoned. Has anyone else had this?

I think you have to go onto your account and join a link of some sort?

I got reminders from wisebee in advance. I did go in and look at my orders to double check I’d booked it a week before.

@Histoscientist please don’t tell me I am wrong when you are not reading my posts properly! I have not at any point said there is a 2 month wait or £5 charge for a weight verification call as I WOULD NEED A MAINTENANCE CALL BECAUSE I AM IN MAINTENANCE.

I shall say it slowly and clearly -

if I wanted to reorder from Oushk again (which I don’t!), I would have to book a maintenance call for which there is a 2 month wait and a £5 charge BECAUSE I AM IN MAINTENANCE.

I am not ‘misleading’ anyone nor quite sure which bit you don’t understand. I am talking about MY OWN PERSONAL situation. It was merely a comment that you have misread. As I said in my original comment, I logged into my old Oushk account out of curiosity.

@IReallyNeedThisToWorkliterally said ‘if I wanted to reorder I would need to book a maintenance call’

This has been an interesting thread. My take-away thought this morning is that Oushk need to focus more on looking after their current patients and less on attracting new ones. As a new patient, I could book a free new patient initial video consult on 16th July, probably even earlier if i keep checking the diary. As a long term patient, on maintenance, I've got to wait until 23rd September for a follow-up consult (which when i started was something we were promised every 3 months) and pay £5 (unless I can successfully circumvent the booking system). This is all a long way from how things used to be and depresses me slightly, not least because unbridled growth doesn't have to be the ultimate aim of business. What set oushk apart a year ago was personalised service, at a good price; now they look to be getting beaten on this and probably on price too.

I think they have numerous people to do the new patient and weight verifications, but the maintenance calls have to be with a pharmacist and take ten minutes plus the time to write them up.

@KrankyKumquat tbh, much like going up the doses once I get to maintenance I don't expect much from Oushk other than generic advice. You might not have picked up snippets of what they usually advise if you haven't been on many of the Q&As before.

For still losing I would expect a conversation around actively logging calories and trying to up calories/reverse dieting, try introducing more carbs and reducing dose - if on 2.5mg already that would mean increasing time between doses. I expect, as they have mentioned on previous Q&As they will suggest extending to 9-10 days so you get your 4 doses on days 0,10,20,30 within the 30 days in-use period. If after a couple of months of that if still losing I guess next step is to try coming off altogether (with option to restart if needed - "flexi plan"), or maybe try one month on/off (they don't recommend that as such but did say they would possible support it for some patients on lower doses if other options such as lowering does/spreading doses out further did not work).

I doubt they'd condone partial doses or going beyond 30 days, would be interested to hear if they did though.

Maintenance "conversation" I feel will be a necessary evil just for the discount code! But would be interested in what they suggest for you.

The inspection I think has knocked them for six. The enforcement notice where they have to action the concerns raised within 28 days, recruiting lots of staff for the additional workload (and training them) will be taking its toll. Alongside managing teething issues in the new chat community, website changes to support bridging the gaps highlighted in the enforcement notice. I expect service will be suffering until they get over these issues.

Their customers on the forums are all now about trying to work out how they can get their height independently verified to put on their patient profiles. Not sure if Oushk has mis interpreted the GPhC points raised or if other pharmacies who prescribe in maintenance will be asking for the same after they get inspected.

In the video call they made me stand against a door and hold my phone in a very specific way to verify my height.

i think they are also struggling with the fact that if you’ve been being prescribed some time ago you didn’t have to do a video to verify starting weight. That makes it harder to continue to prescribe without justifying starting weights.

They’ve put this out today so looks like bmi verification (weight/height) is needed before next orders placed.

Not a bad thing for safety of prescribing, but the speed they have to do it at for their whole customer base due to the enforcement notice must be a nightmare for them.

I have similar concerns. I've been with them for a while and the service levels are slipping a bit now. Also communication still seems to be initially through FB even though they now have their own site and this leads to some confusion about what is happening now, what is planned etc.
Up until now I've been very happy with them but I am a bit concerned they are going to burn out with all the new clients. I've started to look at alternatives now.

@IsItSnowing
Glad it's not just me being...cranky.
I'm not on FB but joined Circle and am puzzled by its status and purpose as FB patients seem to have more up to date info and admin seem largely absent from Circle - it seems to be largely a place to share motivational quotes and photos of your dinner, plus a few questions which get answered in a rather haphazard way by other members. I won't be visiting there often, I think.
I've decided to stay until after the end of the enforcement notice then look at Pharmulous and Swift, although my low bmi may be an issue I fear. Plus last time Pharmulous was inspected it was a one-man band which didn't even do WLIs and Swift's was Aug 24 and I don't want to jump and experience same issues again.

This is why we have the politicians some of us keep voting in. People will swallow any promises and sales pitch as long as they like the sound of it or like the person's public image. Then appear all wide-eyed confused when it either never materialises or doesn't continue afterwards.

"But, but, but they promised...!"
"But but what set them apart was what they said they'll do/never do!".
"I never saw any of it coming".

Duh! Stop complaining and enjoy your fan club. If it's that bad, you can leave... but you won't, will you?! LOL

(As per usual, watch them go with personal attacks and threats in 3, 2,...)

Huh? It’s really not that deep.

Calm down sweetie. It’s a discussion about video calls.

It's been a while @OushkSmoushk 🤣 Hope you are keeping well.

For those not familiar @OushkSmoushk has been on the WLI boards for a while, they come on now and again and passionately slag off Oushk and/or their customers. Feels very strongly about them for some reason, as far as I remember they have never actually used them.

Best ignored (sorry @OushkSmoushk ) as you will get no tangible reasons out of them. A bit like someone strongly hating iPhones but never actually owned one.

@WeAllHaveWings
It's hilarious isn't it? He/she accused me of being an 'it girl' once 😅 but reckons they're the victim of personal attacks. Still not happy it seems and this anger must be playing havoc with their BP which is a shame. Caring and sharing is just not their thing, we never did find out who they're with or how they're getting on.

@KrankyKumquat I would expect if they are on WLI they have another profile they post on in the board usually.

This one is just their therapy account where they get to rant irrationally instead of exploding in a work team meeting or screaming into a pillow at 3am.