The bollocks that is Drug Reviews

These days its almost impossible to see a GPs. Most surgery’s no-longer take booking in advance and most GPs these days only want to see patients over the phone.  If you do manage to see a GPs which means if your working taking a morning or afternoon off you get 10 minute if that, with some prat.

Which brings me to my latest grumble “Drug Reviews”  something that I don’t recall GPs doing 5 years ago.

Of having you in every 6 months to discuss the bloody drug regimes they put you on. Which I find is nothing more than a exercise in time wasting.

I’m on several medication that I have taken for well over 10 years which includes drugs for diabetes.  

I went in for repeat prescription and got told I was over due for a drug review, fine can I book appointment with my GP, got the answer No.  

So when my GP in surgery, got told he's on holiday until next week. I explained I’m running short of medication less than three days supply, one that is vital. Basically I could die within a short period of not taking it.

Got told by the receptionist that I could not be issued with any further prescription without a review.

She then became hostile after I called her a silly kid, which she replied I’m adult I’m 28, which I counter replied with then start acting your age then.

I ended up getting appoint there and then with another of the practice doctors who is foreign.

At the appoint I had to sit through a pitch in a thick accent for additional drugs and a change of medication that I don’t want.

Every time I go for a drug review its the same dross.

They want to take me of a drug that keep me alive for over 10 years and been on the market for over 30 years to put me on some other that’s only been on the market for relatively short period of time and got a load of negative reviews. If it ain't broken!  

After he stopped talking I told him straight I'm not going to be changing my medication, that he need to work on his accent so he could speak English more clearly and I had to take time of work for this bollocks.

And it is bollocks, the medical profession especially GPs practices are becoming less fit for purpose by the day.

Yes it's madness. I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I delayed my drug review by two weeks because I was due to see my heart consultant and I was expecting him to change my medication, which he did. So my drugs had been reviewed, but I hadn't had a 'drug review' at the surgery. I had the same response as you. I didn't run out of my medication and duly had the drug review at the surgery. Next time I asked for a repeat prescription I was told the GP hadn't noted my last appointment as being a drug review, so I had to have another one. Aaargh.

It was probably just another chance for them to raise the subject of statins.

Totally agree although at least mine will do it over the phone rather than waste my time at the surgery. They basically call me and ask if anything has changed, I say no, then it's done. Complete waste of time.

Waste of time if nothings changed...I use a repeat prescription service at my local chemist and every now and then there's a note from the surgery requesting I attend for a meds review but I always ignore them and 28 days later my new prescription is always ready for collection again with no problems and the surgery has never chased me up via letter about my non attendances...Just a case of the computer system flagging these things up whilst the GP's are probably happy that I didn't add to their workload.

Paul wrote:Waste of time if nothings changed...I use a repeat prescription service at my local chemist and every now and then there's a note from the surgery requesting I attend for a meds review but I always ignore them and 28 days later my new prescription is always ready for collection again with no problems and the surgery has never chased me up via letter about my non attendances...Just a case of the computer system flagging these things up whilst the GP's are probably happy that I didn't add to their workload.

Really? I've been refused a repeat prescription for myself and my two sons. I've heard of others who have too. I got so fed up with it that I decided it would be best to try to come off all medication so I didn't have to put up with the drug review! Not quite there yet, one to go

I believe it's because I'm under such a large practice that is massively oversubscribed that they just don't have the time or resources to chase everyone up for non compliance.

I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009 and COPD in, probably about 2006. I have been on blood pressure tablets for what seems like forever and have never been called in for a drugs review. Mind you I never see the GP only the nurse. I am happy with that as we get on really well. She even told me to low carb and not listen to DUK!!!

janlyn wrote:I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009 and COPD in, probably about 2006.  I have been on blood pressure tablets for what seems like forever and have never been called in for a drugs review.  Mind you I never see the GP only the nurse.  I am happy with that as we get on really well.  She even told me to low carb and not listen to DUK!!!

I've only had one review at the surgery and that was with the practice nurse but I do get regular drugs reviews with the pharmacist when I pick up my script, I found out that they get paid £28 a time and as I'm only on BP meds and metformin the reviews take only a short time easy money for the pharmacist

shame its all about money huh

Andy12345 wrote:shame its all about money huh

Yep must cost the NHS a bomb, as we all have or should have yearly reviews surely the DSN or Doctor could do the review at the same time

then they tell us diabetics how much "we" cost the nhs? how much of the money is wasted on this stuff we dont want

graham64 wrote:I found out that they get paid £28 a time and as I'm only on BP meds and metformin the reviews take only a short time easy money for the pharmacist

The whole thing is another one of those time wasting money making scams. Everyone these days seem to be on the fiddle.

i can't stand the latest trend with GP's who want to diagnose you over the phone.

Absolutely true this, I went to my doctors with inflamed foot and got a telephone appointment. 

I hobbled out of the surgery when he called my mobile,  and asked me do describe what it looks like. At this point I was outside his window, so I stuck my foot through his open window with such force my shoe flew off and smacked in in the kisser.

I was so angered  that the lazy bum who was there at the surgery could not be bothered to see me.