Switching to The Family Chemist for maintenance after reaching target weight

[Tenfoot]

Has anyone switched to The Family Chemist whilst in maintenance? I usually order from Pharmalous but thinking of switching if The Family Chemist are good and will accept people who are at their target weight.

Why are you switching? What's the advantage over Pharmulous?

i usually get free delivery from Pharmalous but they’ve stopped the discount code this month. It looks like with the new customer discount at Family chemist it’ll be about £30 cheaper so if they’re a decent supplier and are happy to take people on who are at their target weight it would make sense to switch

I haven’t found TFC to be supportive of long term maintenance. They were asking for lots of information every month (eg a picture of my height - just why? Do they expect me to shrink month on month?) and they also randomly changed the BMI cut off point. I switched to another provider and haven’t had any issues with them. Don’t want to give them free advertising, but they’re called Oushk.

That’s what worries me about switching- Pharmalous have been very good, I’ve had a couple of weight verification appointments (I think every 6 months) but in between that it’s just been a case of inputting my details when placing the orders. I don’t mind paying a little more for a good supplier, but it annoyed me when my usual discount code didn’t work 😂

Was that the discount code Loyal? . It worked last week.
I like pharmalous as they just approve and send. Not had to have video calls etc. Just sent an updated pic and they were happy.
And bonus I got an old style 10mg pen Tuesday.

I’ve recently moved from Oushk after 18 months with them as I didn’t think they were any good for what I wanted going into maintenance 🤣

Yes, I tried it today but didn’t work - wish I’d ordered last week now!

@ScaramoucheCanYouDoTheFandango what was the issue if you don’t mind me asking? I’ve been with them for a year but not wedded to any supplier. Thank you 🙏

Have not used them for maintenance myself, but it's always worth checking their BMI requirements beforehand since some places can be pretty strict once you're already at goal.

Good point! I’ve just googled it and it looks like they don’t accept people with a bmi under 26. I think I’m best sticking with Pharmalous and hopefully they’ll be doing a discount code for existing customers again at some stage.

A few things that annoy me and some repeating themes in their circle app -

• Never liked their overly complicated and glitchy in house designed website
• The admin burden of completely unnecessary photos every 3 months, and weight verification every 6 months on top of the usual consultations every pharmacy does with each order.
• Encouraging customers to stockpile then not allowing them to reorder same dose because they changed the goal posts. No flexibility around stock piles
• Inconsistencies in prescribing decisions from sometimes arrogant independent prescribers
• IMO their GPhC enforcement notice and their subsequent overreaction, blaming GPhC for not “understanding maintenance” (when other maintenance pharmacies passed first time), has exposed their incompetence.
• Too much focus on making income from trying (badly) to be a “well being” brand rather than just a good pharmacy. I am not interested in their partnership with nutrable, but seems that is part of what their premium price is about now.

For maintenance

• Overly complicated systems, to make it look like they provide things like coaching and support. I have never been offered any support not even an email with details of how to maintain , they just prescribe a pen.
• I do not want to pay £5 to sign up to a non existent maintenance program every 6 months and fill in a load of details no one reads (or answers questions). Another admin burden on top of the others above.
• I do not want to pay them a passive income of £15/month for “flexi plan” to “stay on the books” during an order break. Saying it was necessary to prove to GPhC they are still treating you and guarantee patient can re prescribed and other pharmacies are doing it wrong 🤔. Which is absolute nonsense and praying on patients fears.
• will not budge on using pens over 30 day in-use period, when other pharmacies do.

could probably come up with more 🤣

They are things, some people may disagree with, or they don’t find an issue, but I don’t seem them as a front leader in maintenance, they’ve taken their eye off the ball for what customers want.

Might change if they continue down the CQC route, which they mentioned they have started the registration for, and they get into a partnership with a Dr.

@Swalwey add to that list - I think today Oushk have finally lost the plot.

Not only are they trying to provide the Daily Fail with cannon fodder, by suggesting their patients do a story with them.

The pharmacy that allegedly prides itself on the personal touch now has AI bots spamming patients.