Rumours Re Scrapping Prescription Charges?

OldFrill

Marydoll -

If a community pharmacy refuses to accept an NHS prescribed controlled medication contact your local Controlled Drug Governance team. The Glasgow one is:

• 📧 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
• 📞 Phone: 0141 201 6033
• 🏢 Address: Controlled Drug Governance Team, Pharmacy Services, Clarkston Court, 56 Busby Road, Glasgow, G76 7AT

Exactly!

Community pharmacies are obliged to accept used medications even if they were originally prescribed by a third party.

Iam64, You seem to know exactly what happens to used syringes, so there's no problem. Nobody needed to ask me.

I have recent experience of disposing of similar medications as Marydoll. The local community pharmacist accepted them without a murmur.

Having joined this site, I really am beginning to think it's not the place for me. There's just so much aggression.

Absolutely no aggression PollyEsther.
Just making sure, there is clarity.and posters are in possession of the facts.

You gave the impression of being very knowledgeable, which is why I asked if you were a clinician.
.
Old Frill was really helpful in trying find the appropriate information for me.
Iam64, confirmed what I had already posted.
That is what posters on here do, they support each other.

You were very fortunate.that you managed to successfully dispose of syringes of toxic injections at a community pharmacy.
It doesn't change the fact, that I couldn't.

Anyway, I need to withdraw. I am in bed with heart issues, I am supposed to be resting, not getting worked up over the dispoal of medication.😉

I have too much time on my hands.

PollyEsther, if I sounded aggressive, I certainly didn't mean to so I apologise if you got that impression. I sometimes write in a hurry and there doesn't seem to be a lot of emojis on this site so tend not to use them much here.

So people will going to the Dr's for spray costing the NHS 100s in GP appointment and dispensing costs to save £4.50 at the chemist.

PollyEsther

Iam64, You seem to know exactly what happens to used syringes, so there's no problem. Nobody needed to ask me.

I have recent experience of disposing of similar medications as Marydoll. The local community pharmacist accepted them without a murmur.

Having joined this site, I really am beginning to think it's not the place for me. There's just so much aggression.

I may be miss reading your comment but I experienced it as unfriendly. I ‘seem to know’ what happens to the syringes patients like myself and Marydoll are prescribed because I’ve been a patient of expensive biologic injectables for over fifteen years.
Like Marydoll, I’ve had significant adverse reactions to one of the drugs. I’d had the best year of my life after being ill enough to qualify. I was taken off the drug, several grim months with the reaction, combined with increased RA symptoms. My stock of drugs was eventually collected in a sharps bin because of the potential risks associated with it being re prescribed.

Moii

So people will going to the Dr's for spray costing the NHS 100s in GP appointment and dispensing costs to save £4.50 at the chemist.

Not necessarily. The NHS can decide which medications it allows clinicians to prescribe. I would support a review of some of the cheap OTC medications which are currently prescribed.

I confess that I have low dose aspirin on my repeat prescription and have done for years. I do take it and I'd be happy to pay for it. The advantage of having it on the repeat script is that I remember to order it every month along with my other medications. If I had to buy it myself, I guess I would just have to get used to buying it from the pharmacist every time I collect my meds. People who order online would have to tick a box and arrange payment, which I guess isn't too difficult.

Iam64

PollyEsther

Iam64, You seem to know exactly what happens to used syringes, so there's no problem. Nobody needed to ask me.

I have recent experience of disposing of similar medications as Marydoll. The local community pharmacist accepted them without a murmur.

Having joined this site, I really am beginning to think it's not the place for me. There's just so much aggression.

I may be miss reading your comment but I experienced it as unfriendly. I ‘seem to know’ what happens to the syringes patients like myself and Marydoll are prescribed because I’ve been a patient of expensive biologic injectables for over fifteen years.
Like Marydoll, I’ve had significant adverse reactions to one of the drugs. I’d had the best year of my life after being ill enough to qualify. I was taken off the drug, several grim months with the reaction, combined with increased RA symptoms. My stock of drugs was eventually collected in a sharps bin because of the potential risks associated with it being re prescribed.

It wasn't intended as unfriendly. I know very well that syringes are classified as clinical waste and arrangements have to be made to dispose of them. Local councils will collect sharps bins. They collect mine whenever I contact them.

By law, community pharmacies have to collect any unused medications, apart from clinical waste, whoever prescribed them

I honestly don't see what any of this has to do with charging or not charging for prescriptions.

I'm not continuing this conversation.

Not everyone can afford the seasonally prescription ticket, it's a lot to fork out in one go for a lot of people.

You can get a three month one for @ £30 which still saves money if you’re on several items. Surely someone who can’t afford £30 would be on benefits?

MayBee70

You can get a three month one for @ £30 which still saves money if you’re on several items. Surely someone who can’t afford £30 would be on benefits?

No, not necessarily. It depends what your other expenses are. For example, if mortgage rates shoot up and you come to the end of your fixed term, you might find that you suddenly have increased housing costs which you have to absorb. Similarly gas, electricity, water or other such non luxury items. Childcare costs a fortune too so if you are working and you have children, you might find that you have huge childcare costs which you just can't stop paying. You might have to run a car to get to work. The gap between those on Benefits and those on low income is huge once you go a penny over. Then you have to live on less than those with help. £30 in one hit suddenly becomes much less affordable.

To clarify:
Local councils in Scotland DO NOT collect sharps bins.

NHS Scotland hospitals have contracts with companies to courier certain controlled drugs and collect USED syringes, NOT UNUSED ONES containing controlled drugs,
Special arrangements must be made, by the hospital prescriber to uplift unused syringes and destroy.

My problem was that the contract between the facilitating company and the hospital had been terminated, because the medication was causing serious side effects.
There was no way, the system could facilitate a return, because my account had been closed.

What you describe, may have been your experience, PollyEsther, it was certainly not mine.

I will re-iterrate, community pharmacies do not accept returns of this type of medication.
There are rules and restrictions.
However, you seem to know better, than the people, who are actually experiencing this. 😔