Worse than useless

Friday 9th July 2010

I get my repeat prescriptions collected and delivered by my local chemist (it’s not HSBC, TSB, Natwest, Barclays….). However they’re not very good.

As there were a couple of items which would last me for the following month, I rang the chemist and asked if they could be missed off just for that month. I was told that would be arranged, however a week later when I took delivery of my prescription all the items were there.

When my next prescription was due, I rang them and asked if they could leave off the two items, as I had more than enough of them. I dealt with the same person as before, to which he replied there wouldn’t be a problem this time. When my package arrived, sure enough, the two items were missing. So too though were oxynorm and oxycontin, my strong painkillers. Another phone call to them, and having got the same person as before, he promised it wouldn’t happen again.

The following month when my prescription arrived I had to ring the chemist again and got the usual person on the other end.
“I’m afraid I’ve been given codeine painkillers instead of my oxynorm”, I said.
“That’s correct Madam”, he replied.
“No”, I said, “you’ll find my prescription is for oxynorm”.
He tapped away on the computer, “yes”, he said, “oxynorm is what we have you down for”.
“So why then”, I enquired, “have I been given codeine”.
“They’re the same painkillers”, he answered.
“I think you’ll find they’re not”, I said, “oxynorm is a controlled drug, codeine isn’t’”.
“Yes, Madam, that is correct”, he replied.
“So how come I’ve been give codeine”.
“Because they’re the same drug”, he replied.
I was starting to get a annoyed, “they’re completely different. Oxynorm is much stronger than codeine, which is why it’s a CD”.
“Yes Madam, that’s correct”, he answered, “oxynorm is a controlled drug”.
“So why then, have I been given codeine”, I stressed.
“Because they are the same…”.

After 10 minutes of being told they were the same drug, I politely told him to forget it, then rang my GP’s surgery and ordered some oxynorm. Thank goodness I had a pre-payment prescription certificated !!!

The next month I rang the chemist and asked if they could make sure that I would be given the correct painkillers. I was assured this would happen. When I took delivery of them, guess what was missing, my oxynorm !!!!

Because oxynorm was a controlled drug, my GP was reluctant to give me more than one box at any one time. The box only held 56 tablets, and I could take eight or more a day, they didn’t last me very long. Consequently I had to keep re-ordering them every week. I rang the chemist (silly me !!!) and asked if they would be able to submit the repeat weekly prescription for oxynorm, as well as my monthly big batch of items. I was told that wouldn’t be a problem.
Two weeks later and not only had I not received my monthly items, but I hadn’t received any oxynorm. Yet another phone call to the chemist. The assistant said she would have to look into this so would call me back.
Half an hour later she rang back.
“I’m afraid our computer system doesn’t have the facility to allow a customer more than one prescription order, so you’ll have to choose which one you want us to see to”.

Even though they couldn’t get my monthly package right, I decided to leave things as they were. I did, however make them aware that I wasn’t happy that no one bothered to inform me that it couldn’t be done.

She then said their usual delivery driver was on holiday, and as no one in the chemist was insured to carry controlled drugs in their vehicle for health and safety reasons (!!!), I would have to wait until the driver came back to work for them to be delivered.
I asked what were their opening hours, then said John would call in for them either that night or the following morning.
John called in that night and asked the assistant for my prescription.
“I’m sorry but we’ve got nothing for that name here”, she replied.
“You must have”, he said, “my wife rang up this morning and was told her prescription was ready”.
The woman shook her head, checking again.
The pharmacist-cum-manager who was at the back of the chemist quickly stopped what she was doing and rushed toward the counter,
“Mr Harper”, she smiled.
“I’ll deal with this”, she said to the assistant.
“If you could give me one moment, I’ll get your wife’s prescription…”.

I was running low on my oxynorm so rang my GP surgery for a repeat prescription. I was told it would be ready for the chemist to collect it on Tuesday.

By Friday nothing had arrived so I rang the chemist that morning. The assistant tapped away on the computer.
“Yes we do have them”, she said, “however as they are a controlled drug, we were waiting for you to come and sign for them”.
“I get them delivered !!!!”, I snapped.
She tapped away on her computer again, “Oh yes”, she said, sheepishly, “they’re already on the van so you’ll get them this afternoon”.

I give up…..