Length of Prescriptions

I hate starting posts with "in the us...." but this one just begs to be started like this...

in the US my two reoccurring prescriptions (birth control pills, and thyroid medication) were given to me on 12 month scripts.  I would take to the pharmacy and pick up 3 months in one go.  Or I would send to my heathcare's online pharmacy and get 6 months in one go (online was preferable b/c i paid less in copays)  Since both 'conditions' (if being a healthy ovulating female can be considered a condition), needed a twelve month checkup (pap smear for bcp and blood test for thyroid), this made sense.

here in the UK they will only give me a six month script.   the birth control patch is for 6 months in one go, and the thyroid is for 2 months at a time.  so every two months i need to contact the surgery (thankfully my surgery has an online service), and request a repeat script.  then i go to the pharmacy and get it.  every 6 months i need to go to the nurse or doctor (alternating) so that they can say grace over me and write script.  this seems like so much extra work etc... am i just complaining or is there a valid reason for this? 

when i go to the doctor next week i will ask her if i can get a 6 month or 12 month script... we'll see what she says...

I've asked about getting a 12-month prescription for birth control and my surgery doesn't do it as a matter of course...no exceptions.  Frustrating, but I've learned to live with it.

lola- is their rationale that your weight, smoking status and blood pressure needs to be mointered while on hormonal contraceptives? 

I dunno, honestly.  She just said they won't do it for anyone...I did kind of assume that it was for blood pressure, at least, as they do check that every time I go in to get my prescription renewed.

I was told it was because bc pills can have an effect on blood pressure and so they like to check that regularly. Now that they've monitored mine for a bit, they'll let me come in and pick up repeat prescriptions without an appt.

First I found it irritating, but then I remembered that I didn't have to pay the pharmasist and decided that compared with a $30 co-payment, I was happy to pop in to pick up a new prescription! 

if they were new rx i'd understand but i've been on bcp for 7 years and thryoid medication for 13 years.  once yearly mointering is enough.

my surgery really is good about in general- i can reorder online, i can always get an appointment first thing (so i don't miss too much work), i always see my doctor of choice, they're open until 5:30pm so I can go and pick up my repeat w/o taking off work- i find it more interesting than annoying.

it just makes you think- you assume medical issues are black and white- but they're not.  smear every 3 years in the UK vs 1 year in the US. etc...

My surgery won't do anything longer than six-months either. It's just standard procedure, and nothing to do with age, health, etc. They do test my blood pressure every time I come in to renew, but that's about the only check-up I get. I'm used to it, though. It's not a big deal and only really takes about 10 minutes of my time.

well- i'll give up on the 12 month thing.  but i'm going to see if they can give me a 6 month on my thryoid medication.  every 2 months is silly.

My doctor in the US would not give me a prescription for BP pills for more than 6 months, and I had to have a complete physical before.

You really do need to have your weight, blood pressure, etc. monitored while you're on them.

it just makes you think- you assume medical issues are black and white- but they're not.  smear every 3 years in the UK vs 1 year in the US. etc...

Yes, most insured folk in the US can get a pap every year. But remember that the for physicians are billing the insurance companies for those procedures. Any the jury is still out as to which system is better. I've seen research that supports both.....

good morning everyone.  i went to the doctor today to get my two reoccuring rx refilled.  (i also went b/c i have toe fungus- weird and a bit tmi, sorry).  i asked the doctor this length of rx question.  she said that the surgery recieves money for every rx they write.  therefore, they prefer to give repeats as infrequnetly as possible.  so it doesn't have anything to do with clinical need (perhaps different with bcp or other drugs), but with administration requirments.

I was told the same thing, it's all about budgets. It's surgery is giving a certain amount of money by the trust and that forms their budget. If they use more on salaries then they have less for cleaning, suppies, admin, etc, but they can get more money based on the number of Rx they write.

Each month I have to schlep over to drop off a renewal for my allergy meds, they take 2 days to write a new one, and then I go back and collect it. It's such a drama...I tried to get 6 months at a go and they won't do it.

and now... my PCT has changed it from every 2 months to every 28 days.  so every 28 days i need to go online.  fill out repeat rx form.  go to surgery in 2 days to pick up.  drop off rx at pharmacy.  pick up rx.

now- i understand that many people who get rx filled don't actually take them.  this is a drain on the system.  or perhaps its a new medication and you find after only a few pills that it doesn't agree with you so you have to chuck out the rest.

but i've been on thyroid medication for 13 years.  my dosage has been the same for 6 years.  a doctor doesn't actually review my file every 28 days.  argh!! 

The thing that annoys me is getting a 12-month presrcription, but having to renew it monthly -- I take it once a week, so they give me four little pills every four weeks . . . and I just get so annoyed having to renew every month . . . and having to rush to the pharmacy before closing time, with my long hours.

There are a lot of pharmacies around me that have an Rx pickup service.  I'm not exactly sure how it works, but I think you call the doctor to renew the script then the pharmacy picks it up and fills it and you just need to pick up the medicine from them.  It might be worth looking into for this.