Prescription issue ?Just wondering like

[lynzpower]

Hi all

Had a phone call from my GP today saying shes got back my results from a UTi Ive got. Told me to stop taking the prescription, and to come to the surgery to pick up new prescription. I hadnt actually started the previous one as too lazy to get to a chemist, BUT if I had, I would have been 7.00 down or whatever the prescription charges are.

Just for future reference, any chance of getting this back?

[cheddar]

Hmm thats a good point, I think that it would depend on the reasons why they told you to stop taking it, if it was because they gave you the wrong presciption thern they should provide you with some evidence of this and you would have been able to claim it back via the Prescription Pricing Authority (they have forms for this I believe).

Best bet would be to call NHS Direct and get some professional advice but I would wonder why in the first place. It would worry me if I had been prescibed something to be told at a later stage I shouldn't have been taking it. That to me shows possible signs of malpractice?

[lynzpower]

WEIRDER & WEIRDER!! Sorry I just had to add this in case anyone saw.

IM on MSN with my sister at the moment adn the strangest coincidence.

Last night, she felt unwell and visited the loos in the train station, where she was pi55ing blood. She was taken to hospital, where they told her that she was having "a reaction" to the meds for the UTI she'd been prescribed a few days previously. What a surprise- this is the SAME medication TRIMETHOPRIM , that I was told over the phone yesterday to stop taking as it the UTI "wouldnt respond to it". So two sisters one in london, the other in Manchester, get Utis the same week, both get given the same prescription one(her) starts taking it, the other ( me) gets told by GP to stop taking it immieidately. Both of us are told "it wont react to the Uti" She ends up in severe pain, fainting and losing a lot of blood in hospital, me fine, as I never started taking it.

Any thoughts - surely this is one coincidence too far?

[cheddar]

OMG! The only thing I can think of is that something has gone very wrong in the prodigy or similar databse. This is a database GP's and other health professionals use to give advice on best treatment for something. Although I would have thought prescribing for a UTi should be straight forward, or maybe they are told to check the database for updates and Trimethoprim was put on there as a cure by accident.

This may be worth mentioning to your GP surgery and maybe your Primary Care Trust as well. But I would certainly get your sister to make a complaint to her practice manager.

[lynzpower]

But how would MY GP know that there was a problem with it? Possibly they were told on a missive not to prescribe it I guess, and had to go through the comouter & find who was on it and phone them & tell them to stop. If there are issues over the quality of prescription drugs ,which there obviosuly is if my sis ended up in hospital then, surely? I should have been told??!! Not just, oh it wont work for your UTI

So glad I was a tightwad about it lol, but devastated for my sister, sounds VERY horrible.

[deeian]

Trimethroprin is an anti biotic so if you GP diagnosed you with a UTI it was the right prescription.. After a couple of days he would have had further results back from the labs telling him exactly which bacteria was causing the infection and which was the best antibiotic to specifically treat it with which is probably why he told you to stop taking the first and collect a new prescription. The problem your sister had sounds like a reaction to a specific drug so she should remember this and mention it if she ever needs antibiotics again for everything. Hope this helps.

[lynzpower]

deeian

Out of interest, I would have thought that a "catch all" medication for UTIs should "cure" what Ive been given. Whats the point of giving a prescription thats possibly/likely going to be wrong? Why not wait until the results are back ?At worst you could end up in my sisters situation ( poor lamb) or at best being 7. odd out of pocket, and rinsing the NHS for an inappopriate prescription and whatever their/ taxpayers contribution is?

Any thoughts?

[deeian]

You're right. The first anti biotic should cure it. Its usually one that is known to treat most of the 'usual' bacteria that cause infections. I can only make a half educated guess but I would imagine that when any test results came back your gp found one that would treat you better and/or quicker. If he hadn't given you anything to start with your infection might have got worse in the few days waiting time and then taken a lot longer to clear. Also in probably 9 out of 10 cases, if not more the first prescription would have been ok. I understand what you are saying about the prescription charges though. Having worked in the health service for longer than i care to remember most people want a prescription NOW and won't listen to GP's explaining about waiting for test results. Usually a broad spectrum antibiotic works. Hope this makes sense

[cheddar]

Originally Posted by deeian

Trimethroprin is an anti biotic so if you GP diagnosed you with a UTI it was the right prescription..

I'm sorry but I don't think that advice like that should really be given, we have absolutely no idea if that was the right drug for this person, we don't know their medical background or reaction history at all. Not critising you directly deeian, upon research I tend to agree with what you say but your words reminded me of an incident on another forum that got out of hand! LOL!

I think we may be looking into this a bit deeper than we should be to be honest and I think has simply been a co-incidence between lynzpower and her sister. I also only suggested her sister contact her Practice Manager or PCT if she actually has a complaint.

I think we may have to have a disclaimer on this particular forum or maybe some guidance notes to say that we shouldn't give out any kind of medical advice. I have seen this become a problem on other forums and liability can become an issue as well.

[lynzpower]

Nah fair enough, maybe it was the panic of hearing my sister on about it this morning, and my own illhealth that made a very odd coincidence seem more sinister.

I'll ask my GP directly if the product has been taken from the market over the next few days & as I have contacts in the NHS, I'll see if they can corrobate.

I havent taken any "medical" advice as it were from here, but others might in the end and there does need to be a disclaimer ( at the very least, where people work, is it a professional or personal opinion eg, Im an assistant social worker based in an older peoples social work team in central london) that might help new users of this forum.

Cheers though, much appreciated x

[deeian]

i was only trying to help.

[cheddar]

Originally Posted by deeian

i was only trying to help.

Please don't take offence I know you were only trying to help, just as I am.

[heppy23]

I am an ex nurse. Trimethoprim is very commonly used for UTI's. It has been around for many years.

[cheddar]

I wasn't disputing what it is or what it does. Just making sure that people (professionally qualified to do so or not) are not giving advice out to people. Deeian didn't directly do this but it was bordering on it.

It is a problem that happens on some forums where the NHS or medical issues are discussed. I have seen such things happen, once with rather disasterous results. I just wanted to kerb it now and make people aware. Anyone can look up the name of drug and describe it in detail, what we don't want is people saying '.....its for such a thing so you must be able to take it....' or '...I took it and I was fine...' etc I know it hasn't got to that stage but like I said I just wanted to make people aware.

[Maxie]

Just as a general point, and as someone who is medically qualified Trimethoprim is one of the 'brusier' type of antibioitcs. Someone presents with a suspected UTI you give then Trimethoprim as a 'broad spectrum antibiotic' (kills lots of types of bacteria) and when the urine sample comes back from the lab, if it comfirms a UTI it will also have details of the type of bacteria involved and a list of antibiotics that are recomended or that that bacteria are sensitive to.

If Trimethoprim is one of them they you just keep on going, if not you advise the patient to stop taking it and issue a new script.

The point is that there is likely to be an infection, better to treat now than risk not treating and the problem getting worse while you wait to see what is the most appropriate treatment.

[chipsandsausages]

I have a little knowledge of medications. (Worked in NHS for about 14 years).

What was mentioned re:broad spectrum antibiotics is right. Although I am NOT giving you medical advice - that must come from your own healthcare provider.

When you send a sample off to the lab, they generally try to grow cultures on it. In the meantime, you wouldn't be happy to wait for your treatment until the GP had the results so he treats you with a "cure all" antibiotic.

When your result comes back it will have a list of broad spec antibios and next to their names - "resistant" or "sensitive".

If your particular infection was resistant to trimethoprim then you would need a different antibiotic.

It's nobody's fault, and I doubt you'd get your money back.

Have a nice day anyway x

[djh1697]

If a UTI is diagnosed at a STD clinic is a hospital you would be given treatment there free of charge.

[chipsandsausages]

It is different rules for Primary care (GP practices).

You wouldn't pay at AED either - it's emergency medicine.