An MP requests help

[John Smith]

Hmmm....

When I had my PK graft (privately) 4 years ago, I was kept in overnight. The following afternoon, the pad was removed, and I was examined by my consultant. "You're going to need unpreserved dexamethasone for that, taken hourly during waking hours for 4 weeks" she said. "It's got to be unpreserved because you're taking it so often." Ok, I thought.

"It's made by Moorfields specially, as it has such a short shelf life... and this hospital has no stock!"

I was furious and petrified! My friend who was there to pick me up and take me home was already running late, as she had to pick up her children from school. We ended up with her driving me home to my house where we met her husband, who thankfully managed to get away from work early. He then drove me in my car to my local NHS hospital... where the pharmacy wouldn't dispense the drug I needed because the prescription was not issued there. So I had to then traipse to the eye casualty unit (same hospital, thankfully) and be seen by a junior doctor before he'd copy my presciption from his own boss (!) from one prescription form to another. Luckily, we got the prescription dispensed with 10 mins to spare before the pharmacy closed for the weekend!!!

Thankfully, things have been more organised over the last 4 years, but that scared me rigid.

[Andrew MacLean]

John

Like you I was held in hospital overnight. I had a clinic in the morning of the next day, so they kept me over so that I'd not hve the long journey upo to glasgow.

Like you I was told I'd have to use unpreserved Dexamethasone. But mine was provieded in those little individual eye droppers (minims).

They gave me a week's supply and I went to my GP who presecribved each month a full month's allotment.

Of course, I was being seen on the NHS, so I'd expect a better service.

Andrew

[John Smith]

I don't know whether the minims were available at the time of my graft; I've had them since but that was fun, too.

During a rejection episode (2nd or third), I remember it well - Boots telling me that they couldn't fulfil my order. "Give me what you've got".
"OK; here's one box."
"Thanks. That will last me 12 hours."
Pharmacist falls off chair. He was expecting one box to last one week... and to give me 4 boxes. It took three visits to get them all in the end

[Andrew MacLean]

My local pharmacist got used to having minims in store. the problem was not with Dexamethasone, which they just kept in a crate, but Chloramphenicol. When they thought I'd be needing new Chloramphenicol they filled their firdge with it.

I benefit again from being in a relatively small town with good local pharmacists.

Andrew

[Mary]

My lenses cost 52.00 each and that from the hospital and I have had several changes in 1 year plus lost about 3

[rosemary johnson]

Mary, are they charging you for each new one?
Surely, they should refit for the same fee, if you need a new one within a year? - or at least, within 6 months?
Roseamry

[Andrew MacLean]

I had always, understood as Rosemary suggests, that if you need a re-fit during the 12 months following a new lens for which you have paid, the re-fit is charge free.

Lost lenses are different; you pay for them! But then, that is why somebody invented insurance companies!

Andrew