A prescription from the doctor

should belong to me. I have always thought this was the case but apparently it is no longer the case. It belongs to the chemist - or so I have been told.

I went to fill a prescription last week. I had the prescription. It had already been filled once and there are five repeats. I passed the prescription over and was told the usual, "Ten to fifteen minutes". It is sometimes "Half an hour" or "Not until this afternoon" but the "ten to fifteen" is more normal. 

I went to the greengrocer. I came back. The prescription had been filled but I was told that the chemist would be keeping the prescription there. "It's what we do now. It's what we are doing for everyone." I pointed out that (a) it was not a new prescription and (b) I had already had it filled once.

"But it first came to us by fax," I was told. 

"Yes and it was filled then after which you gave it to me. It's my property."

"No, it is ours."

I had to leave it there but I cannot for the life of me see what difference it makes once the prescription has been filled on the first occasion. Keeping a fax copy on the first occasion makes sense. It has gone to the pharmacist and not to me. At that point it is their property even though my name appears on it. Once the prescription has been filled on one occasion and they have given it to me then the prescription also belongs to me - because it is part of that transaction. (Trust me, this is the case.)

It seems though that this is another sneaky little thing they are trying to change with "telehealth" or a "phone consultation". I should have had an actual consultation with the doctor for this but the clinic decided to do otherwise. I am fortunate that my doctor nephew could take my blood pressure - rather more thoroughly than the GP I usually see. Yes, under the Covid19 guidelines, the GP would have given me a prescription without even doing that. It alarms me.

There are "concerns" that people are not looking after their health because they do not wish to go and see a GP at the present time. I would have gone - taking all necessary precautions. 

I also like to have control over any medication I need to take. I object to having to return to the pharmacy and ask for my own property. Last year they tried to tell me they could, for a fee of course, put all the Senior Cat's prescriptions into a weekly pack. He was (and still is) perfectly able to take what he needs to take with no more than a "is there anything you need at the chemist" sort of question from me.  It irritates him that, in respite, he is the one telling them what he takes and when he takes it.

Of course there are people who cannot cope and others who would be only too happy to have the chemist lose their prescriptions (which they do) rather than lose their prescriptions themselves. I am not one of those individuals. Grrrrrr.