Hello All
Hope everyone is well. I ad a problem gettkng my husbands rotigontine patches on friday told me they wasnt in stock and not to worry to just go monday to collect them. NOT to worry my husbands last patch was due to run out the saturday ( always give plenty of time with the perception too) So with nothing they could do i rang around all phamacys in our area from saturday till monday morning with no help from anyone. By saturday night my husband was in pain, symtoms very much so worse even taking his other medication he couldnt do anythin. So monday came i rang our pharmacy to make sure his patches was there to be told no sorry gonna be tuesday now, i explained he ad gone all weekend with none and another day without so not going to happen and what could i do, ring the gp i was told and tell them. Long story short the gp gave us another order and out of all the pharmacys it was one in sainsburys that ordered his patches without me going down with a prescription first so we could definitely get them with in a few hours. I feel like somethin should be done about this, seeing my husband suffer more than he should, brought his depression right back with worrying about his furture and how this effected himover the weekend with not a care in the world by everyone i spoke to for help. Sorry for the rant but made me so mad and upset for him. Reqlly as to be something that can be done to stop this happening.
I have the same issue with the pharmacy and those patches. Its crazy, likewise the attitude is also the same, just collect on whatever day without any guarantee they will be there. I will query with GP if there’s an alternative or maybe just try reordering with a week to go? Not much advice but just so you know its not just you.
Thank you TheLippyone glad its not just us, even tho how unfair no one should be left with none. The way no one cares really made me so mad. Im plankng on putting an extra order in with the gp so this never happens again ( to just have a dee spare incase). Thats what really got me i ad put the prescription in on the Tuesday and went on Friday gave them enough days to sort it you would think ay…I will now do it a week b4 like you sah and hope for the best tho thanks…but lesson learnt ill get a few spare with the gps help…Thanks again Dawn
I hear you, Dawn. Pharmacy is a disaster generally. No explanation either, i was wondering is it supply chain issues or what.
Youd wonder if those who prescribe them are aware of the problems? Not to mind the stress and worry for the patient. Hopefully with the combination of you having a few spares and ordering earlier, you wont be caught short again. Fingers crossed it wont happen too often.
Hi,
Just to let you also know the Rotigotine Patches should not be stopped abruptly I realise that wasn’t your fault but it is another reason why the GP or Parkinsons Nurse wherever your Husband is being treated should step in in this situation to get some issued, they would have them at the Hospital so always worth contacting the Team he is under. Stopping that medication suddenly can cause serious medical issues, the GP should know that and someone should have sorted it out for you as a matter of urgency. Its just another worry for both yourself and your Husband. I’m pleased to read you have them now. Best Wishes to you both.
Yea it could be, altho a pharmacy we dont use managed to order them for me within a few hours, not sure anyone wanted to do their job to be honest, well thats how they all made it look to me. Hopefully this never happens again to my husband or to anyone else for that matter it isn’t right.
Hi Peter12
See i said that if you are given medication and told how to take them, u shouldn’t just stop and he ad gone 3 days with none ( doesnt sound a alot of days but oh my god what that did to my husband) I rang the parkinson team at the hospital for help to be told i need to send an email for a nurse to email me back to see if they knew where i could get him some from. Was no help what so ever. Just lucky the pharmacy who did get us some was very helpful and understanding that he ad gone without. I plan on taking this matter futher. Thanks agajn for your message Dawn
Hi
Do you not have an out of hours Dr you can go and see, you ring 111 and they should of helped you, the Dr would have rang you back and wherever they were you would have had to collect ascript and taken it to a late chemist.What area are you in. What I would do is put 1/2 of all his meds away fod emergency and reorder all meds again in 2 weeks, say your going away thats why you need script early.
I’m so sorry that this happened to you and your husband and you got so little help.
Had similar with my b/f a few years ago - turned out the medication had changed its name so that was why they couldn’t get it!
This shouldn’t happen for anyone but especially Parkinson’s, which is so important to get drugs on time! I have sometimes wished some unhelpful people could have it for a day, or a couple of hours even, feel what it’s like. Or even care for someone with it, so stressful.
Good advice to get an extra month in so you can stay ahead.
Also thinking, maybe you could get chemist to deliver weekly, then they would always have to be in advance?
Best wishes to you and husband x
Thanks Stouty i didnt even think of 111 with me ringing the gp and hospital, hopefully wont happen again but i will remember that. Thanks for you message Dawn
Thanks Silver tabby yea i wish same that they could see what its like, mayb would understand how important it is to have it on time. The gp blamed the pharmacy and the pharmacy blamed the gp and then said i need to give them more time 
4 days just isnt enough…but we are now in front and for my husband and me i plan to keep it that way. Thanks for ur message Dawn x
Here in Scotland our surgery is advising ordering medication 10 days in advance. My husband panics if his medication isn’t available which makes his symptoms worse.
Our local Boots stopped automatically re-ordering repeat prescriptions without advising us. Luckily the drug my husband ran out of was not a parkinsons medication and I take the same drug so loaned him some of mine although you are not supposed to. I put an order for my drugs in online last Monday ,they had been authorised by the doctor on Tuesday morning when I checked so on Wednesday I asked someone to collect them but they were told that only two of the five requested prescriptions had reached Boots. I eventually got the final three on Saturday but they included in bag a copy of the prescription with all five items so I can’t believe that they did not have the full prescription on the Wednesday and were just to lazy to put it together. They are still using the excuse of a shortage of staff due to covid for closing for lunch.
I agree with Stouty and Silver _Tabby. Going without is like going cold turkey. and I know what that feels like as I had to change my meds a few years back, it was horrendous. I always have more than enough of all the medication I take. Sometimes I order another lot of meds 2 /3 weeks after ordering before and also I get two lots by saying I am going on holiday.
Lots of good wishes to you both.
Hi K800mer
I agree with that they are to lazy, our pharmacy used to get all his meds ready for when i went to collect 2 to 3 days later, now they wait for me to go get them b4 they even look at it. So no time to order then. Makes me mad.
Hi Skyblue thanks for ur message, after seeing how my husband was i will not let it happen again, i am ordering again end of week ( saying going away) How bad is that tho to make sure that all meds are there, when they should be anyway. But very good advice to stop it happening X
Hi Happydaysgone
Yea it does my hubby too and ive always done it in the time i ad this time, but never again, ill be getting in front. X
I now phone them and tell them what time the prescriptions will be collected as other people do the collection and mostly they are ready but not always. I am also disabled and immune suppressed and don’t like to hang around in a shop for 20 minutes or so .