Soon to need a prescription for Nurofen/Solphadine/etc?

sesna · 24-08-2010 11:18pm

Stephen P wrote: »

Article in todays Irish Times Health Supplement about the rules.

Had to laugh at the last customer who referenced it as being "a powerplay" by pharmacists. I suppose having morphine on prescription is a powerplay by doctors.

bleg · 24-08-2010 11:22pm

sesna wrote: »

Had to laugh at the last customer who referenced it as being "a powerplay" by pharmacists. I suppose having morphine on prescription is a powerplay by doctors.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Calibos · 25-08-2010 1:44am

ebixa82 wrote: »

1) How do you do a weekly shop that lasts a month? Is it not called a monthly shop?

Oh FFS. I do a weekly shopping trip for 7 people. I go into the pharmacy (thats inside the Tescos) pushing a trolley full over the brim with shopping. I have this naive hope that the same pharmacists/members of staff that see me every week or two pushing in this huge trolley can see that I am not doing a monthly shopping trip to feed myself every week. I am obviously doing a weekly shopping trip 'every week' for more people than just myself. I had this naive hope that the same people who about 3 weeks before sold me a 24 pack of N+, a 24 pack of Solphedine and a pack of Panadol night

(this was an unusual all in one go purchase when I had my wisdom tooth extraction, dry socket, gum infection week of hell)

and merely told me to offset the Solphedine from the N+ by 2 hours, well that these same people would accept my explanation for regular purchase of N+ that they always accepted mere weeks before. Yet now when I tell them I am purchasing a 24 pack to be used by 7 people they look at me like an addict with skeptical faces. Hence the frustration. You don't believe me now that I am purchasing these for seven people? Do I not look like I am shopping for 7 people with this over fcuking loaded shopping trolley that you see me push in every week. They can check their records to see that they have scripts on record for 6 people registered to my address (7th is a girlfriend of one of the others)

Does that prove I am not necking all the N+ myself. Of course not but FFS if I was necking them myself I'd be in trying to buy more than 1 pack of 24 every fortnight.

2) Non pharmacist staff simply can't sell these products. They can't err on the side of caution or just sell 12. It must be done by a Pharmacist.

Wrong, I was served by salestaff last time.

3) It's apparent you have found yourself in a tough situation with these new guidelines. To alleviate such stress how about.

It would be stressful if I actually was an addict. Its merely annoying

a) getting one of the other 6 adults that live in your house to buy a pack every now and then.

I'm the one with the car and the driving licence. They are now picking up the pack of 12 whenever they are near a pharmacy to 'Stock Up' which surely is a greater danger encouraged by this new rule. People are more likely to use them sparingly for a bad pain/headache when whatever is left in a pack has to last at least a week till the next shopping trip. With them stocked up with plenty to last at least a week then people are more likely to use them merely when they feel a hadache is coming on.

As usual rules like this don't stop the abusers(who just buy a pack in every pharmacy in town) but inconvenience everyone else who actually end up having to emulate the addict behaviour of the addicts by doing the same. ie. Stocking up at every pharmacy in town.

2) you, yourself go to a different one of the 2000+ pharmacies in the republic

see above

3) Buy a non-codeine based med for your headaches etc.

You mean buy something that is not guaranteed to work 100% and/or in 30 minutes flat. You mean suffer pain more and/or for longer? Why should I have to and why should I have to listen to the spiel every single time and be asked the same questions everytime and be looked at with a skeptical eye like an adddict everytime

.

haveablast · 25-08-2010 1:41pm

policeman wrote: »

Had it not been for this government intervention pharmacists would have continued to sell these products as normal, and made their profits. Would they have eventually self regulated sale of codeine OTC products? Don't think so.

It was the pharmacy regulator, not the Govenment, who introduced these new protocols.

policeman · 25-08-2010 3:06pm

Ok, I stand corrected, but it wasn't without a little shove from Mary Harney me thinks.

Anyway as far back as the early 1900's the addictive qualities of opiates were well known, and only now in wee ole Ireland we see this big drive with warnings and restrictions with regards to products containing such ingredients "in the interest of public health". Where was the "interest in public health" for the preceding decades?

Piles of money was being made by all concerned, the manufacturers, the pharmacies, and all the while people were getting hooked. Now that the spotlight is on them, they have to seen to be doing something. With the fear of a reprimand, a la mystery shoppers, the buck is passed, and the "addicts" and the rest of us get a snorefest codeine lecture, and are made to feel like a very naughty child.

Fookin' hilarious.:D

bleg · 25-08-2010 6:40pm

policeman wrote: »

Ok, I stand corrected, but it wasn't without a little shove from Mary Harney me thinks.

Think what you want but there is no evidence of this.

Anyway as far back as the early 1900's the addictive qualities of opiates were well known, and only now in wee ole Ireland we see this big drive with warnings and restrictions with regards to products containing such ingredients "in the interest of public health". Where was the "interest in public health" for the preceding decades?

Ya, all codeine containing products should have been made POM years ago, like in most other Eurupoean countries.

Piles of money was being made by all concerned, the manufacturers, the pharmacies, and all the while people were getting hooked. Now that the spotlight is on them, they have to seen to be doing something.

The only people doing something about it are the pharmacists. A certain manufacturer of soluble paracetamol and codeine have sent out little cabinets so that the boxes of the product can still be kept invisible but the products can be kept on the shelf.

ebixa82 · 25-08-2010 9:29pm

Calibos wrote: »

I have this naive hope that the same pharmacists/members of staff that see me every week or two pushing in this huge trolley can see that I am not doing a monthly shopping trip to feed myself every week. I am obviously doing a weekly shopping trip 'every week' for more people than just myself. I had this naive hope that the same people who about 3 weeks before sold me a 24 pack of N+, a 24 pack of Solphedine and a pack of Panadol night

and merely told me to offset the Solphedine from the N+ by 2 hours, well that these same people would accept my explanation for regular purchase of N+ that they always accepted mere weeks before. Yet now when I tell them I am purchasing a 24 pack to be used by 7 people they look at me like an addict with skeptical faces. Hence the frustration. You don't believe me now that I am purchasing these for seven people? Do I not look like I am shopping for 7 people with this over fcuking loaded shopping trolley that you see me push in every week. They can check their records to see that they have scripts on record for 6 people registered to my address (7th is a girlfriend of one of the others)

Does that prove I am not necking all the N+ myself. Of course not but FFS if I was necking them myself I'd be in trying to buy more than 1 pack of 24 every fortnight.

2) Non pharmacist staff simply can't sell these products. They can't err on the side of caution or just sell 12. It must be done by a Pharmacist.

Wrong, I was served by salestaff last time.

3) It's apparent you have found yourself in a tough situation with these new guidelines. To alleviate such stress how about.

It would be stressful if I actually was an addict. Its merely annoying

a) getting one of the other 6 adults that live in your house to buy a pack every now and then.

I'm the one with the car and the driving licence. They are now picking up the pack of 12 whenever they are near a pharmacy to 'Stock Up' which surely is a greater danger encouraged by this new rule. People are more likely to use them sparingly for a bad pain/headache when whatever is left in a pack has to last at least a week till the next shopping trip. With them stocked up with plenty to last at least a week then people are more likely to use them merely when they feel a hadache is coming on.

As usual rules like this don't stop the abusers(who just buy a pack in every pharmacy in town) but inconvenience everyone else who actually end up having to emulate the addict behaviour of the addicts by doing the same. ie. Stocking up at every pharmacy in town.

2) you, yourself go to a different one of the 2000+ pharmacies in the republic

see above

Why do you expect the Pharmacist to pay any attention as to the size of your trolley? I'm sure they have more important things to be doing ffs. It also doesn't prove in the slightest that you may or may not be taking them all yourself. You could be living with 100 adults and be the only one taking these products.

Do you live on some sort of commune with these 6 other adults miles from anywhere?

To stop all this stress in your life simply get one of the others to buy a box. Or perhaps everyone just buy their own individual boxes and take care of each other. You know, like adults do. I find it hard to believe that all the other adults have no access to a pharmacy apart from your weekly shopping bonanza.

If you are so upset about how you are being treated then simply switch pharmacy. These are new regulations and they are here to stay so you will just have to get used to it I'm afraid.

Alternatively you can simply ask the GP to stick a box on your next Rx.

Simple!

sesna · 25-08-2010 9:46pm

Calibos wrote: »

Some people are focusing on the wrong parts of my posts or misinterpreting my points. ie. None of anyones business why I live in a house with 6 other adults and do the weekly shop/fortnightly chemist visit for them or asking why I am going into a Pharmacy with a full shopping trolley (chemist is inside a Tesco).

Is that you Mr Fritzl ?

dory · 25-08-2010 9:52pm

I'm seeing conflicting information here and now the OP says his information may have been incorrect.

Do we need a prescription for N+ now?

bleg · 25-08-2010 9:55pm

No.

Sparks43 · 26-08-2010 4:52am

Had a tooth pulled and i had no painkillers so dropped into my local chemist to pick up a box of Solphadine (only painkiller i can take the rest upset my stomach)

Got a 5 minute lecture telling me about new laws and im not supposed to take them for more then 3 days

wtf i barely take any medication and when i do its when absolutely necessary and im made to feel like a junkie

one thing though as i took the bag i said to her "so i can only take these for three days" she said "thats right " and i replied "why on earth have you given me a pack of 24 then" she had no answer for that lol

no common sense at times tbh

artanevilla · 26-08-2010 5:00am

A chemist told you how to use medicine!? :eek:

Sparks43 · 26-08-2010 5:03am

artanevilla wrote: »

A chemist told you how to use medicine!? :eek:

going back in to buy condoms tomorrow so

wonder what she would say on that :rolleyes:

Sticky_Fingers · 26-08-2010 5:13am

Sparks43 wrote: »

going back in to buy condoms tomorrow so

wonder what she would say on that :rolleyes:

Or a pack of condoms, some Nyquil and a rattle:pac:

Owwmykneecap · 26-08-2010 5:24am

Pharmacist. They are pharmacists.

I am a chemist, they ain't!

star-pants · 26-08-2010 5:31am

Take 2 every 4 hours, not exceeding 8 in any 24 hours aye?
24 (tabs) / 8 = 3 days worth.

And you thought she'd given you too many?

Overheal · 26-08-2010 5:41am

one thing though as i took the bag i said to her "so i can only take these for three days" she said "thats right " and i replied "why on earth have you given me a pack of 24 then" she had no answer for that lol

My boss pulled his back today, heads over to his desk and whipped out a prescription of oxycontin he had filled back in 2007.

It'll come in handy. some day.

ebixa82 · 26-08-2010 6:46am

Overheal wrote: »

My boss pulled his back today, heads over to his desk and whipped out a prescription of oxycontin he had filled back in 2007.

It'll come in handy. some day.

No it won't. No prescription is valid for any longer than 6 months from the date it was written. Also drugs like Oxycontin cannot be repeated and are never given back to patient once filled.

Rulmeq · 26-08-2010 6:55am

When I get migraines the only thing that has any affect (or is it effect, I never know the right one to use), is neurofen+ (well non-prescription anyway). So I made the mistake of telling the Pharmacist that I hadn't taken anything else. She refused to give them to me, and since it was a Sunday evening, I had to just cradle my head in my hands for the night. She told me I'd have to get a doctor's letter if I didn't want to be asked the same thing in future.

Next day I went to a different Pharmacist, and I told her the "right" answers and got myself 24, and the migraine had actually gone away.

I could have gone around to all the local shops and got myself 100 paracetamol and either killed myself or destroyed my liver.
Stupid, stupid, stupid nanny state.

Edit: I want to point out that I don't blame the Pharmacists for this

ceegee · 26-08-2010 7:08am

Owwmykneecap wrote: »

Pharmacist. They are pharmacists.

I am a chemist, they ain't!

Technically they are (pharmaceutical)chemists as well as pharmacists.

phasers · 26-08-2010 8:06am

I don't understand the point of this law at all, it just makes people hate pharmacists

easyeason3 · 26-08-2010 8:51am

Are they not required to warn you that you're turning into a sunken eyed, dishevelled, wipe your nose on your sleeve, eyes dart in a paranoid fashion junkie?

cournioni · 26-08-2010 8:54am

I'm on Ponstan at the moment, its good ****.

Lando Griffin · 26-08-2010 9:08am

Rulmeq wrote: »

Stupid, stupid, stupid nanny state.

I for one am glad they are illegal and good riddance to them if they are addictive.
A few weeks back at a table quiz, it got delayed, I had about 8 pints of Guinness then went to the night club and drank 4 fat frogs through a straw, my belly was full so I hit the top shelf and had a few JDs.
I was very sick the next morning and resorted to taking Solphadine. The addiction must have taken over because by the end of the day I had taken 4, and at this time had false confidence to go for the cure.
I am glad now that you have to ask for them because of the untold damage they can do to your liver and other health.

ebixa82 · 26-08-2010 9:10am

cournioni wrote: »

I'm on Ponstan at the moment, its good ****.

Ponstan is the same class of drug as Nurofen (ibuprofen), i.e. an NSAID not an opiate and so there is no risk of dependence or of getting a kick out of it.

People would be better off taking this drug instead of Nurofen + but need to get a Rx of the Doctor first...

coffee_cake · 26-08-2010 9:12am

ebixa82 wrote: »

No it won't. No prescription is valid for any longer than 6 months from the date it was written. .

I think he said it was already filled, so presumably the drugs themselves were in the drawer...

Ian Beale · 26-08-2010 9:17am

Lando Griffin wrote: »

I for one am glad they are illegal and good riddance to them if they are addictive.
A few weeks back at a table quiz, it got delayed, I had about 8 pints of Guinness then went to the night club and drank 4 fat frogs through a straw, my belly was full so I hit the top shelf and had a few JDs.
I was very sick the next morning and resorted to taking Solphadine. The addiction must have taken over because by the end of the day I had taken 4, and at this time had false confidence to go for the cure.
I am glad now that you have to ask for them because of the untold damage they can do to your liver and other health.

Lol, blame the liver damage on painkillers and not excessive drinking, that's a good one.

Sticky_Fingers · 26-08-2010 9:22am

cournioni wrote: »

I'm on Ponstan at the moment, its good ****.

I'll trade you one Amoxicillin for three Ponstan...

starbelgrade · 26-08-2010 9:23am

See? This is what happens when you go shutting down the headshops.

rugbug86 · 26-08-2010 9:27am

Pfft, amoxicillin will do nothing for your pain. Don't make the trade cournioni!

I too love ponstan and its pain relieving goodness. Doctor gave me a script for 100 of them a few months ago. mmmm, ponstan.

Soon to need a prescription for Nurofen/Solphadine/etc?

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