An MP requests help
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Lynn White
- Optometrist
- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Sat 12 Mar 2005 8:00 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
OK Jay... you are swinging between prescriptions and vouchers here ... let me explain.
A prescription has to be issued by a medical practitioner - so yhes it could be issued by th4e eye clinic but then you would have to return or apply to the hospital every time it needs to be renewed and the prescription could only be fulfilled by a registered pharmacy or otherwise aproved or licensed premises..
If you had a voucher system similar to the current spectacle one, (seeing as the items in question are not medication) then they could bne redeemed at any optical outlet which does give more choice and convenience and the outlets would be able to give advice about solutions.
A prescription has to be issued by a medical practitioner - so yhes it could be issued by th4e eye clinic but then you would have to return or apply to the hospital every time it needs to be renewed and the prescription could only be fulfilled by a registered pharmacy or otherwise aproved or licensed premises..
If you had a voucher system similar to the current spectacle one, (seeing as the items in question are not medication) then they could bne redeemed at any optical outlet which does give more choice and convenience and the outlets would be able to give advice about solutions.
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jayuk
- Ambassador
- Posts: 2148
- Joined: Sun 21 Mar 2004 1:50 pm
- Location: London / Manchester / Cheshire
Im Back lol
Lynn
I understand that; but I think we'd have the same issues if it was either at GP or Eye Clinic...at least I would as both of mine are equally as busy........in fact trying to see my GP probably takes me longer then it does to get to Moorefields!!
If the system was to be given from the eye unit then surely it woul dhave to be given from the Hospital Pharm? And if the voucher system was in place than surely it would be pre-selected/authorised vendors? and if a Prescription based system was introduced from GP than the whole waiting issue would still stand? How about we get sent them lol
J
Lynn
I understand that; but I think we'd have the same issues if it was either at GP or Eye Clinic...at least I would as both of mine are equally as busy........in fact trying to see my GP probably takes me longer then it does to get to Moorefields!!
If the system was to be given from the eye unit then surely it woul dhave to be given from the Hospital Pharm? And if the voucher system was in place than surely it would be pre-selected/authorised vendors? and if a Prescription based system was introduced from GP than the whole waiting issue would still stand? How about we get sent them lol
J
KC is about facing the challenges it creates rather than accepting the problems it generates -
(C) Copyright 2005 KP
(C) Copyright 2005 KP
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rosemary johnson
- Champion
- Posts: 1478
- Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
- Location: East London, UK
I agree that we should be talking in "generics" rather than brand names, as the latter would only restrict future options.
I also agree it will be critical to set the quantities per prescription - paying more in prescription charges than the stuff costs over the counter isn't going to help anyone.
As for queueing up in hospitals for the stuff - those of us wh go to MEH already do! - and it can be a long wait too.
And, when you finally get your number called, the pharmacy people won't give you the stuff that the practitioner has actually put on the prescription form!!! - it seems the left hand at Moorfields doesn't know what the right hands is doing (or rather, not doing).
For example, the "general rule" at Moorfields is that you get 3 months' supply for one prescription charge. But last couple of times I was there they would only give one month's supply of Celluvisc for one prescription.
I ased if they would give three months supply if we had three slips and paid three prescription charges. They said "Yes". Need I say, when I went back, the person then in the pharmacy denied any of his colleagues would ever have said anything of the osrt.
"Are you calling me a liar?" I asked.
Fortunately for him, he didn't quite have the balls to say 'yes'!
It seems we are supposed to take the blue counterfoil of the MEH prescription to our GPs. The said first person in Pharmacy says all GPs inthe london area know about Moorfields prescription counterfoils and will be able to write a prescription for the rest.
Needless to say again (!) when I went to my GPs, no-one int he practice had ever heard of these blue slips and hadn't a clue what to do with one, and made me wait in the waiting room till the end of surgery to talk to a doctor in person.
As if I didn't have anything better to do!!!!!!!!
Needless to say again, the same *other8 Pharmacy person tried to say I was lying for saying his colleauge had told me this!!!
It seems the left hand doesn't know what the right hand isn't doing even *within* the Pharmacy!!!!!
This is the sort of problem that needs sorting out - we don't want to be in the chemist's shop with our prescription forms with the hospital/optom many miles away and trying to sort out something similar.
As for prescription items not being available elsewhere - well, if the supermarket doesn't have an in-store pharmacy, you won't be able to use a prescription form and will have to pay the standard price. But that won't stop you getting the stuff there.
I've had a GP actually write out a prescription for me for paracetamol tablets - needless to say far cheaper to pay for OTC in my local supermarket than a prescription charge.
As it happens, my nearest pharmacy is now the in-store franchise in ASDA - and nce the pharmacist told me that something a prescription form was on the supermarket shelves - she was on her own at the time, so sent me to go and get some from Aisle 7 and bring it back, and she'd ring it up as a prescription item - I had a season ticket at the time, so wouldn't have been paying cash, otherwise it would have been cheaper to take it to the supermarket check out.
Rosemary
I also agree it will be critical to set the quantities per prescription - paying more in prescription charges than the stuff costs over the counter isn't going to help anyone.
As for queueing up in hospitals for the stuff - those of us wh go to MEH already do! - and it can be a long wait too.
And, when you finally get your number called, the pharmacy people won't give you the stuff that the practitioner has actually put on the prescription form!!! - it seems the left hand at Moorfields doesn't know what the right hands is doing (or rather, not doing).
For example, the "general rule" at Moorfields is that you get 3 months' supply for one prescription charge. But last couple of times I was there they would only give one month's supply of Celluvisc for one prescription.
I ased if they would give three months supply if we had three slips and paid three prescription charges. They said "Yes". Need I say, when I went back, the person then in the pharmacy denied any of his colleagues would ever have said anything of the osrt.
"Are you calling me a liar?" I asked.
Fortunately for him, he didn't quite have the balls to say 'yes'!
It seems we are supposed to take the blue counterfoil of the MEH prescription to our GPs. The said first person in Pharmacy says all GPs inthe london area know about Moorfields prescription counterfoils and will be able to write a prescription for the rest.
Needless to say again (!) when I went to my GPs, no-one int he practice had ever heard of these blue slips and hadn't a clue what to do with one, and made me wait in the waiting room till the end of surgery to talk to a doctor in person.
As if I didn't have anything better to do!!!!!!!!
Needless to say again, the same *other8 Pharmacy person tried to say I was lying for saying his colleauge had told me this!!!
It seems the left hand doesn't know what the right hand isn't doing even *within* the Pharmacy!!!!!
This is the sort of problem that needs sorting out - we don't want to be in the chemist's shop with our prescription forms with the hospital/optom many miles away and trying to sort out something similar.
As for prescription items not being available elsewhere - well, if the supermarket doesn't have an in-store pharmacy, you won't be able to use a prescription form and will have to pay the standard price. But that won't stop you getting the stuff there.
I've had a GP actually write out a prescription for me for paracetamol tablets - needless to say far cheaper to pay for OTC in my local supermarket than a prescription charge.
As it happens, my nearest pharmacy is now the in-store franchise in ASDA - and nce the pharmacist told me that something a prescription form was on the supermarket shelves - she was on her own at the time, so sent me to go and get some from Aisle 7 and bring it back, and she'd ring it up as a prescription item - I had a season ticket at the time, so wouldn't have been paying cash, otherwise it would have been cheaper to take it to the supermarket check out.
Rosemary
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Lynn White
- Optometrist
- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Sat 12 Mar 2005 8:00 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
Jay...
Rosemary has just outlined the situation from heel that can arise from prescriptions being issued by the hospital... and what if you go to Moorfields but live in Yorkshire?
If you get your prescriptions sent by post what happens if they are late and you run out of solutions? All this has to be taken into consideration.
Voucher wise, if it was like a spectacle voucher, then you could redeem it at any opticians in the UK. It could of course be possible that a different kind of voucher could be issued to redeem at any pharmacy OR optometric outlet. However, it seems most likely that a current system like prescriptions would be favoured as this would mean least changeto the current systems.
Rosemary has just outlined the situation from heel that can arise from prescriptions being issued by the hospital... and what if you go to Moorfields but live in Yorkshire?
If you get your prescriptions sent by post what happens if they are late and you run out of solutions? All this has to be taken into consideration.
Voucher wise, if it was like a spectacle voucher, then you could redeem it at any opticians in the UK. It could of course be possible that a different kind of voucher could be issued to redeem at any pharmacy OR optometric outlet. However, it seems most likely that a current system like prescriptions would be favoured as this would mean least changeto the current systems.
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jayuk
- Ambassador
- Posts: 2148
- Joined: Sun 21 Mar 2004 1:50 pm
- Location: London / Manchester / Cheshire
Lynn
I think this whole issue answers itself in many respects! There is NOT one solution....however there may be a mixture!.....each and every potential workaround has its benefits and limitations.....however if we have a system around the patient then we are on course for a solution...
sometimes it pays to act thick to get one step further...thats what I say anyway! lol
J
I think this whole issue answers itself in many respects! There is NOT one solution....however there may be a mixture!.....each and every potential workaround has its benefits and limitations.....however if we have a system around the patient then we are on course for a solution...
sometimes it pays to act thick to get one step further...thats what I say anyway! lol
J
KC is about facing the challenges it creates rather than accepting the problems it generates -
(C) Copyright 2005 KP
(C) Copyright 2005 KP
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Sweet
- Committee
- Posts: 2240
- Joined: Sun 10 Apr 2005 11:22 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
- Location: London / South Wales
Yes i understand about this mysterious blue forms from Moorfields, i got given one of those as well! Needless to say that it is no dam use to anyone and not worth the paper it is printed on! I couldn't find a single pharmacy around Moorfields that would take it and finally my GP looked at it oddly said what the hell is that and trusted me to ask for what i wanted. The only good thing that nursing is for sometimes is being trusted at the GP's to self prescribe!!
I know that different hospitals work in different ways and that Moorfields does now have rules on not issuing three month supplies as they were always running short but we need to be aware of this and have a valid voucher / prescription to get it somewhere else. There is enough stress involved with having your eyes seen, getting attacked with stain and dilating drops and then finally managing to see to get to the pharmacy without the hell of not being able to get what you need!
This is why ordering online can be so much nicer as you can save your order and then just click on it when you need to, which is normally when you can't dam well see!!
Sweet X x X
I know that different hospitals work in different ways and that Moorfields does now have rules on not issuing three month supplies as they were always running short but we need to be aware of this and have a valid voucher / prescription to get it somewhere else. There is enough stress involved with having your eyes seen, getting attacked with stain and dilating drops and then finally managing to see to get to the pharmacy without the hell of not being able to get what you need!
This is why ordering online can be so much nicer as you can save your order and then just click on it when you need to, which is normally when you can't dam well see!!
Sweet X x X
Sweet X x X
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