Repeat Prescription

mrschneebly

My GP prescribed medication and told how long I should take it, and that it was a repeat prescription so if I ran out before then I could get more without having to see him again. There was a pharmacy near the GP so I figured I'd pick up the medication there. Thing is that the pharmacy/GP is off the beaten track, and they took the original prescription that I left the GP's office with, so I'm wondering if I can get my refill at any pharmacy or do I have to go back to the same one that dispensed it the first time?

angeldelight

You'll need the actual prescription to get more medication so your two choices are (a) return to that pharmacy every time to get the medication or (b) return to the pharmacy and ask for the prescription back so you can go to any pharmacy to get the medication

mrschneebly

Aggghhhhhh, dammit! I feel conned, why'd they take the thing off me!? xD They gave me a bag and receipt and all that so I didn't even notice until later!

Thanks for the advice :>

echo beach

mrschneebly wrote: »

Aggghhhhhh, dammit! I feel conned, why'd they take the thing off me!? xD They gave me a bag and receipt and all that so I didn't even notice until later!

It may have been a genuine mistake or your doctor may have made a mistake and forgot to mark the prescription as a repeat one. Both scenarios are more likely than setting out to con you.
Ring the pharmacy tomorrow and ask them to check if it was a repeat and if it was say that it doesn't suit you to return there and ask them to post it out to you.

mrschneebly

The medication has a label from the pharmacy stuck on it that says it can be repeated. I wasn't really being serious about them conning me, it's just annoying!

Mrs OBumble

So you chose to go to an inconvenient pharmacy, knowing you'd have to go back for a repeat, and now you're giving out about it? Really?

beyondbelief67

If you go into a boots chemist they can get it faxed over to there chemist, I presume any big chemist can do the same as they have done it for me before.

Kurtosis

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

So you chose to go to an inconvenient pharmacy, knowing you'd have to go back for a repeat, and now you're giving out about it? Really?

From the information the OP has given, they did not realise the prescription was not returned to them and therefore did not know they would need to return there for a repeat. That seems like a perfectly reasonable complaint. I'd echo what others have said, give the pharmacy a call and ask them to post it to you.

mrschneebly

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

So you chose to go to an inconvenient pharmacy, knowing you'd have to go back for a repeat, and now you're giving out about it? Really?

penguin88 wrote: »

From the information the OP has given, they did not realise the prescription was not returned to them and therefore did not know they would need to return there for a repeat. That seems like a perfectly reasonable complaint. I'd echo what others have said, give the pharmacy a call and ask them to post it to you.

Yeah I'm not used to this kind of thing and the way I saw it was that the doctor had given me this piece of paper that I would show to a pharmacist as proof that it was ok for them to dispense the listed medication. And he said to just refill it as I needed it for the duration that he described. So I didn't see why it mattered which pharmacy I went to, I'd just pop in and show them the paper and they'd dispense the meds, and when I needed a refill I'd pop in wherever was convenient and show them the paper and they'd dispense the meds... no problemo. The pharmacy I went to was right next to the GP so I figured I'd get it out of the way there and then. I didn't realize they didn't return the prescription thing, I figured they'd stuffed it in the bag. It just seems weird that they hijack the prescription like that but I'm not seriously giving out about it

And thanks beyondbelief67, I'll probably try that

looking_around

mrschneebly wrote: »

Yeah I'm not used to this kind of thing and the way I saw it was that the doctor had given me this piece of paper that I would show to a pharmacist as proof that it was ok for them to dispense the listed medication. And he said to just refill it as I needed it for the duration that he described. So I didn't see why it mattered which pharmacy I went to, I'd just pop in and show them the paper and they'd dispense the meds, and when I needed a refill I'd pop in wherever was convenient and show them the paper and they'd dispense the meds... no problemo. The pharmacy I went to was right next to the GP so I figured I'd get it out of the way there and then. I didn't realize they didn't return the prescription thing, I figured they'd stuffed it in the bag. It just seems weird that they hijack the prescription like that but I'm not seriously giving out about it

And thanks beyondbelief67, I'll probably try that

If they didn't keep it. It would allow you to visit all the pharmacies you wanted in a day/week etc XD.

That's why they keep it, so you can't pharmacy hop.

angeldelight

looking_around wrote: »

If they didn't keep it. It would allow you to visit all the pharmacies you wanted in a day/week etc XD.

That's why they keep it, so you can't pharmacy hop.

That's really not true - when the pharmacy dispenses something on the prescription they'll make a record of it on the back of the script. The next pharmacy will be able to see that so won't dispense again if it wouldn't be appropriate to do so.

As for the fax - it wouldn't be legal for a pharmacy to use it to dispense from, they do need the original. It can be used in an emergency situation but the original should follow.

Gael23

My GP just gives me 3 post dated scripts every time rather than one with repeat x3 written on it. Stops this type of situation from happening and makes it easier for me to keep track as I'm on a few different medicines for different things.

beyondbelief67

angeldelight wrote: »

That's really not true - when the pharmacy dispenses something on the prescription they'll make a record of it on the back of the script. The next pharmacy will be able to see that so won't dispense again if it wouldn't be appropriate to do so.

As for the fax - it wouldn't be legal for a pharmacy to use it to dispense from, they do need the original. It can be used in an emergency situation but the original should follow.

Yes they send it on but in the mean time they issue the patient with the medication, that the fax prescription states is needed.

mrschneebly

I went to a different pharmacy and they had the prescription faxed to them, no problems

beyondbelief67

mrschneebly wrote: »

I went to a different pharmacy and they had the prescription faxed to them, no problems

So glad everything worked out for you

mrschneebly

Thank you, and thanks for the help