Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Vive on October 31, 2022, 02:34:56 PM
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Hi all 👋🏻
Im just starting on my peri-meno HRT journey and even though it was fairly easy to actually be prescribed the HRT from the doctor, it now seems im struggling to get my mits on it due to the surgery not classing it as a repeat prescription 🤷🏼♀️ I’m having to make two pilgrimages a month, one to post a note to reception to let them know what meds I need to be ordered, and another, two days later, to pick them up from the chemist!! Madness.
Ive downloaded the myGP app and have taken it into the docs receptionist with ID to get it set up so I can order via the app, and the receptionist (after trying to set it up for me) said ‘0h! It’s for HRT, that isn’t classed as repeat prescription so you won’t be able to order it on your app’ …. “eh, say what?” 🤷🏼♀️
She said, ‘yeah I know, lots of angry women, it’s because it’s for us women they like to make it difficult for us’!!
crazy!!! 🤪
I’ve also tried getting three months supply of the gel but so far been unable to, it has to be prescribed monthly apparently.
Just wondering how everyone else manages? Is there another way I can order online, although I’m thinking not if my surgery aren’t processing it this way 🤷🏼♀️ Feeling… flummoxed.
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How annoying! For me I order it online on my account with the practice. It still needs to be authorised by their pharmacist and then it is sent to my chemist to be collected. This usually takes about 3 or 4 days to be done.
You should not have to send a letter to the practice as that sounds so outdated!
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You think you've heard it all but no, totally unbelievable!
Everything is done online and I order my repeat prescriptions without any hassle whatsoever, sent directly to my pharmacist. HRT not classed as a repeat prescription, what utter nonsense!
You need to take this further, talk to your pharmacist and ask if other patients can get their HRT this way in your area, or change doctors, or move!
Last time I looked we are in the 21st century! I'm spitting bullets again ::)
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I know Flossie really dated! Thank you I thought I was going mad and it was the norm. I just can’t seem to convince them that having to treck to the surgery to post a scrap of paper with a scribbled out order in their prescriptions box every month then wait two days to go back for it again is not cool 🤦🏼♀️ I can’t even call them to arrange a repeat prescription once a month, it has to be by note in their prescriptions box. It’s doing my nut in 🤪 very frustrating! And then to be told I can’t do it on the app either. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
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You think you've heard it all but no, totally unbelievable!
Everything is done online and I order my repeat prescriptions without any hassle whatsoever, sent directly to my pharmacist. HRT not classed as a repeat prescription, what utter nonsense!
You need to take this further, talk to your pharmacist and ask if other patients can get their HRT this way in your area, or change doctors, or move!
Last time I looked we are in the 21st century! I'm spitting bullets again ::)
😂 exactly Ayesha!!! I genuinely thought my fight would be with the docs prescribing the HRT, not the monthly faff to access my meds, that didn’t even cross my mind. I will do more digging and speak with the pharmacist next time I have to go through this ridiculous rigmarole (in a couple of weeks). It actually wouldn’t be such a faff if I could get a longer prescription, still a faffing nuisance but once every three months wouldn’t be too bad. These months seem to come around quicker and quicker. My heads in a spin 🤪
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I thought all GP surgeries in the UK have an email address that you can send a request to order a repeat prescription to. The email can then ask for your repeat medication to either be sent via EPS (Electronic Prescription Service) to a Pharmacy of your choice or collect from your GP surgery reception.
The email address is in the form of "[email protected]" I think the !!!! are a series of unique numbers which then corresponds to the individual GP surgery.
Ask again at your GP surgery for this email address. You are right it shouldn't be made this difficult.
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Hi Vive,
I live in Wales which has a devolved health service so there are some differences from the rest of the UK. All our prescriptions are free.
For both my HRT and my husband's statins we have to put in a request each month with our nominated pharmacy and they message us when the prescriptions are ready for collection up to 5 days later (but it's normally within a couple of days). We can only get one month at a time. The only exception to that was when we were going away for 2 months and I had to contact the surgery to request this.
My understanding is that this monthly limitation is to avoid waste medications should the prescription change after they have dispensed say 3 month's worth.
I hope you get sorted.
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I thought all GP surgeries in the UK have an email address that you can send a request to order a repeat prescription to. The email can then ask for your repeat medication to either be sent via EPS (Electronic Prescription Service) to a Pharmacy of your choice or collect from your GP surgery reception.
The email address is in the form of "[email protected]" I think the !!!! are a series of unique numbers which then corresponds to the individual GP surgery.
Ask again at your GP surgery for this email address. You are right it shouldn't be made this difficult.
Thanks Fruitcake. That sounds like the most logical way to do it! I’ve spoken to two dr receptionists now and they both say the only way I can get my prescription is by dropping a note in the prescriptions box at the surgery. I’ve tried calling but the phone message says there are now no options for ordering prescriptions via telephone but also doesn’t mention anything about ordering online. I will persevere. 🤦🏼♀️ (It’s getting on my tits now though)
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It's not until you reach a certain age that you find yourself on long term repeat medications. Your surgery is very outdated in these times of modern technology which is a lifeline when it comes to ordering repeat prescriptions. I've just ordered mine which will automatically be sent to my chosen pharmacy.
It would be a real hassle to have to keep going to the surgery to pop my order in every time I wanted a new prescription. Hopefully one day your surgery will get modernised, in fact I thought they all had to these days!
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It's not until you reach a certain age that you find yourself on long term repeat medications. Your surgery is very outdated in these times of modern technology which is a lifeline when it comes to ordering repeat prescriptions. I've just ordered mine which will automatically be sent to my chosen pharmacy.
It would be a real hassle to have to keep going to the surgery to pop my order in every time I wanted a new prescription. Hopefully one day your surgery will get modernised, in fact I thought they all had to these days!
Yeah Ayesha they are signed up to the myGP app for ordering repeat prescriptions which I thought was excellent and was told I just needed some ID for the receptionist to set it up for me. When I went she said that because it’s HRT it isn’t currently eligible for subscription order or repeat orders on the myGP app with them 🤦🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ That’s why I was wondering what everyone else did to get theirs. Seems my surgery is stuck in the dark ages. So bloody irritating.
Anyone else’s doc surgeries in the North West of England this archaic??
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Mine is in the NW. My hrt has been on repeat prescription since I started it 4 years ago. IMO that's the bit that's wrong, I can see no reason why they can't put it on repeat.
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because it’s HRT it isn’t currently eligible for subscription order or repeat orders on the myGP app
Women recently have demonstrated in the streets to raise awareness of HRT and here you are being told you have to write a little note and hand it in to your surgery every time you want a repeat prescription of HRT. I can't think of any other word to describe this, it's discrimination against HRT by your surgery.
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because it’s HRT it isn’t currently eligible for subscription order or repeat orders on the myGP app
Women recently have demonstrated in the streets to raise awareness of HRT and here you are being told you have to write a little note and hand it in to your surgery every time you want a repeat prescription of HRT. I can't think of any other word to describe this, it's discrimination against HRT by your surgery.
I know, it’s absurd isn’t it. I just get met with blank stares from the receptionists whenever I try to challenge it. Hopefully I will have more luck with the pharmacist. Or I may have to make an appointment to speak to a doctor 🤷🏼♀️
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Mine is in the NW. My hrt has been on repeat prescription since I started it 4 years ago. IMO that's the bit that's wrong, I can see no reason why they can't put it on repeat.
Yea you’re probably right Sheila99, thanks. Maybe I need to speak to a doctor about it.
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So I spoke to the surgery’s chemist who also insisted that they don’t prescribe HRT on a repeat prescription, so it does look like I won’t be ordering mine online any time soon. Although he did say he would prescribe me three months worth every time. His reasoning for not giving HRT on prescription was that as HRT needs reviewing once a year they can’t prescribe it this way. 🤷🏼♀️ I feel stupid? (actually scratching my head as I type 🤦🏼♀️) I said a year is a long time and I know of many women who are able to order online with a repeat prescription for HRT. He wouldn’t waver at all, I think he lost interest the moment he realised what I was wanting, he seemed bored. Best I can do is give you three months worth he said. Ugh! Annoying. So I’m guessing this also means I will have to now pay for three months worth all in one go. Aaargh! 🤣 oh ekk
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I think the surgery's chemist has misunderstood what you were questioning really. A repeat prescription for 3 month's worth of the medicines is pretty standard once you have been reviewed at the beginning and that regime is working for you. I'm only getting one months worth on a prescription (started HRT in June) as it is wasteful for the NHS if that regime is not suitable and you need to try something else. I'm already on my second change of HRT.
The actual problem for you is the request for the prescription and that it should not require two trips to the surgery to access your repeat prescription. I wonder if they thought you were asking whether as a repeat prescription it would happen automatically and just be ready for you to just collect at the chemist every month on a repeating basis, without a request first. If you see what I mean?
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Just to clarify I am very happy to be on the HRT journey and looking forward to feeling better and I realise that moaning about how to get a repeat prescription order may be annoying to some who are struggling with actually getting their doctor to prescribe in the first place. Good luck to everyone on the journey. 🤗
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Your post is not annoying at all. This is a place for support so please feel free to post on here. The prescription issue is a part of menopause anyway. :)
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Just to say that you pay per prescribed product and not per item. If you have a prescription for 3 months supply, you will pay £9.35. This would be the same if the single prescription gave you 1,3,6 months supply and if it was for one bottle of oestrogel, or 12.
It is a key reason why women don’t want to have mo they prescriptions. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but also it costs far more.
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Just to say that you pay per prescribed product and not per item. If you have a prescription for 3 months supply, you will pay £9.35. This would be the same if the single prescription gave you 1,3,6 months supply and if it was for one bottle of oestrogel, or 12.
It is a key reason why women don’t want to have mo they prescriptions. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but also it costs far more.
Thanks for this advice ChocolateWombat. I actually signed up for the NHS PPC (pre payment certificate) for 3 months which cost £30.25 and thought I was getting a good deal because I was worried about having to pay around £60 for the items 🤦🏼♀️ Never mind. I will try to pay for it without getting the PPC next time and hopefully I will only be charged for the two different prescriptions (I’m on the Estrogen gel 2 pumps and the Utrogestan capsules).
Thank you everyone for all your advice, it’s much appreciated.
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I think the surgery's chemist has misunderstood what you were questioning really. A repeat prescription for 3 month's worth of the medicines is pretty standard once you have been reviewed at the beginning and that regime is working for you. I'm only getting one months worth on a prescription (started HRT in June) as it is wasteful for the NHS if that regime is not suitable and you need to try something else. I'm already on my second change of HRT.
The actual problem for you is the request for the prescription and that it should not require two trips to the surgery to access your repeat prescription. I wonder if they thought you were asking whether as a repeat prescription it would happen automatically and just be ready for you to just collect at the chemist every month on a repeating basis, without a request first. If you see what I mean?
Hi Fruitcake
I see what you mean, but I’ve now spoken to two receptionists a chemist and a nurse who all say that it’s not possible for me to order my HRT prescription online as it’s not eligible for this service. I still don’t understand this. The only explanation I’ve been given is that it’s because HRT needs reviewing every year. Hopefully this is being looked into and my surgery will become more tech savvy in time 🤷🏼♀️
I also think giving three months supply as an alternative is a bit silly due to possible wastage if the meds aren’t suiting the purpose etc. Hopfully this isn’t the case for me as I do seem to be doing well so far on the gel and Prog 🤞🏻
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Just to clarify I am very happy to be on the HRT journey and looking forward to feeling better and I realise that moaning about how to get a repeat prescription order may be annoying to some who are struggling with actually getting their doctor to prescribe in the first place. Good luck to everyone on the journey. 🤗
I don't think you are moaning at all. I've had problems myself obtaining (the correct) repeat prescriptions from my GP's surgery so I guess it is a bug bear of mine. We shouldn't have to fight for these things but very often the system seems to be against us.
I do find other people's stories help to inform others and this forum is a good source of confidence boost when you start to query whether you are right or not.
I hope you continue to feel well on your HRT journey.
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Have you tried the NHS app rather myGp? Never heard of that one. I always order my HRT via that for 3 months at a time, or a month when changing to different method.
You should also be able to ask for repeat by email.
Would definitely ask GP or practice manager for a clear explanation. Good luck!
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Have you tried the NHS app rather myGp? Never heard of that one. I always order my HRT via that for 3 months at a time, or a month when changing to different method.
You should also be able to ask for repeat by email
Would definitely ask GP or practice manager for a clear explanation. Good luck!
Hi Raztac10. Thanks for taking the time to help, I’ve downloaded the NHS app thank you.
Unfortunately I’m still unable to order my HRT online. The sticking point (I’m assuming) is the surgery who wont put me on repeat prescription. I can’t even order via the ‘Non Repeat Prescription option, a medicine I’ve been prescribed before’ when I choose the option it just says Contact your GP surgery for non-repeat prescription requests
You cannot order non-repeat prescription items in the NHS App.
Contact your GP surgery to request the prescription!! Argh. So annoying as my surgery is currently ONLY accepting HRT orders via a note in the drop box at the surgery. I know I know. It’s madness isn’t it. I’m am grateful that I’m now on three months at a time so I guess I’ll just have to suck it up for now and make my three monthly pilgrimage to the drop box with my “please sir can I have some more” letter (meds needed scribbled on a note) 🤦🏼♀️