I have a repeat prescription for pain relief because of chronic conditions. Currently I need it more than usual because of very painful mouth surgery & an acute hip problem. The GP sent a medication request for soluble co-codamol out to Rowlands chemist after I was in A&E. They didn't have all the tablets & only gave me some. Now I'm nearly out of tablets & it's a bank holiday weekend.
Rowlands won't give me the remaining co codamol as hard tablets. They say I need a new prescription. Boots told me that the soluble tablets won't be available till November! They won't give me the hard tablets either because I've already had part of the prescription from Rowlands.
In these circumstances I was told to contact NHS 111 for a new prescription. The wait on phone lines is very lengthy & you are told to go online. The menus to select from & information is also lengthy. So I went through the whole online process only to find that the only way this issue can be resolved is to phone!
So now after a very long wait I've done that. In the meantime Rowlands has closed until the 20th. Boots will close at 6pm. The person I finally spoke to has had to refer me to someone else. She couldn't issue a new prescription. I have to hope a phone call will come & someone will get the pills to me or to Boots before it closes.
I'm just about at the end of my tether. One of the Pharmacists actually told me to "calm down"! (I was in tears). Presumably reasonably young & fit, not a 77 year old who has been in quite a lot of pain for many days.
Of course I understand that the NHS has to be careful about prescription drugs. Co Codamol is an opiate. What I don't understand is why I couldn't be given the outstanding pills in solid form by either chemist, given that the soluble ones are not going to be available until November. To have to go through the stressful & lengthy process I just have is more than I currently have the stamina for.
To my mind the NHS is far too bureaucratic & seems able to tolerate patients pain & discomfort. I cannot understand why I wasn't given any pain medication after the surgery or the day in A&E. Is that a money saving new policy?
It's now 3pm - No phone call. No pills.
3.40 - phone call, prescription issued to my local Boots. I just have to walk there again to get it before they close & hope it has gone through OK.
I had actually got as far as Summertown when I got a phone call from Boots to say they didn't have any Co codamol. I had to collect the prescription & get a bus into Oxford. I finally got the tablets at 5 pm & got home at 5.30.
It has taken me all day to get enough pain killers to last until after the bank holiday. It has been unbelievably stressful. What on earth is going on? Why is there seemingly a big shortage of medication? Why do we not keep stocks of vital medication? I didn't have a problem with med's all through Covid. Surely this has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine?
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