Thursday, December 22, 2005
I Prescribe A Nightmare
I ran out of meds the other day, so I rang up the doctors for a repeat prescription, like I always have done in the past.
Me: "Hello, I'd like a repeat prescription please. My name's Stephen ********."
Receptionist: "Sorry, you can't get prescriptions over the phone any more."
Me: "Pardon?"
Receptionist: "You have to come to the surgery, with a letter saying what medication you want, how long you've been on it, and where you will collect it from."
What the fuck? This is a new development, in just the last three months. This wouldn't even be a big deal, but I don't have a car. So, instead, yesterday I had to walk for an hour in order to give a snotty receptionist a stupid, primary school-like letter asking for permission to have medicine I'm already entitled to. The best part of it is, because it's Christmas, I have to wait a week before I can have the privilege of another hour long round trip to get the new meds.
At the end of the day, for me this is an inconvenience, but what about the elderly? Or people with arthritis? There is a compulsory three day waiting period now. One of my best friends is asthmatic - this new rule is no good when her inhaler runs out and she urgently needs a new one, which has already happened.
The pathetic thing about this is that, over the last year, the government have been heard to use the phrase 'power to the patient' when discussing the Health Service. Yet here we are, with a new rule that not only doesn't give power to the patient, it actively takes it away. The only people helped by this stupid idea are beaurocrats and snot-nosed receptionists, and I couldn't care less how hard their lives are.
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I've also posted here.
Me: "Hello, I'd like a repeat prescription please. My name's Stephen ********."
Receptionist: "Sorry, you can't get prescriptions over the phone any more."
Me: "Pardon?"
Receptionist: "You have to come to the surgery, with a letter saying what medication you want, how long you've been on it, and where you will collect it from."
What the fuck? This is a new development, in just the last three months. This wouldn't even be a big deal, but I don't have a car. So, instead, yesterday I had to walk for an hour in order to give a snotty receptionist a stupid, primary school-like letter asking for permission to have medicine I'm already entitled to. The best part of it is, because it's Christmas, I have to wait a week before I can have the privilege of another hour long round trip to get the new meds.
At the end of the day, for me this is an inconvenience, but what about the elderly? Or people with arthritis? There is a compulsory three day waiting period now. One of my best friends is asthmatic - this new rule is no good when her inhaler runs out and she urgently needs a new one, which has already happened.
The pathetic thing about this is that, over the last year, the government have been heard to use the phrase 'power to the patient' when discussing the Health Service. Yet here we are, with a new rule that not only doesn't give power to the patient, it actively takes it away. The only people helped by this stupid idea are beaurocrats and snot-nosed receptionists, and I couldn't care less how hard their lives are.
**********************************************
I've also posted here.
Comments:
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What drives me mad is that they won't let you make an appointment more than 48 hours in advance anymore. I have interest in their bloody targets and resent being inconvenienced to make the government look effective.
What the hell is the point of this? Are they trying to limit illicit drug use?
If so, why apply the restrictions to asthma meds?
Egads, this seems really really stupid.
If so, why apply the restrictions to asthma meds?
Egads, this seems really really stupid.
Boudica - Cheers! Noted.
Paul - It's a part of my family heritage. We ********'s fought William the Conqueror, doncha know.
Clairwil - I know! It's a real pain in the arse when I'm switching between two towns frequently.
SafeT - I think the idea is to stop people OD'ing, or something. Anyway, it's fucking daft in my opinion.
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Paul - It's a part of my family heritage. We ********'s fought William the Conqueror, doncha know.
Clairwil - I know! It's a real pain in the arse when I'm switching between two towns frequently.
SafeT - I think the idea is to stop people OD'ing, or something. Anyway, it's fucking daft in my opinion.
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