While the number of people suffering from long-term medical conditions is rising globally, so is the percentage of patients who require a continuous supply of medications that improve their quality of life.
Approximately 15 million people in England suffer from a long-term condition. In fact, according to this article in The Guardian, more than 2 million Britons will be inflicted by four or more chronic illnesses within 20 years!
Diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension and other diseases are all showing an upward trend in occurrence. Also known as chronic diseases, these are medical conditions for which there is no known cure, and which are traditionally managed by taking medicines for an extended period, usually life-long, in conjunction with other treatment approaches.
In general, patients or caretakers have to personally go to their general physician (GP) to hand in their prescriptions and get their medications. Following this, the usual waiting period is around two working days, after which they collect the prescription from the practice, take it to the pharmacy and get it filled. Doctor’s prescriptions for these medications usually stipulate how many doses should be given out at a time.
GPs usually choose to give patients suffering from chronic illnesses repeat prescriptions. This allows them to refill their medications regularly and stock up on any required drugs without having to see the doctor every time, which is a huge hassle for the very busy, the disabled and the very ill.
Often, either due to a packed schedule or just being too sick to go through the entire tedious process, repeat prescriptions go unfilled, leaving the patient without any medications for an undetermined amount of time. Not only does this exacerbate the illness, but it also might render the drug or its dose useless against the now, more severe illness.
For people who suffer multiple chronic conditions, especially old patients diagnosed with various age-related diseases, it is vital to maintain a regular schedule of medications without any breaks or interruptions in dosages. For sleep disorders, you can easily buy Zopiclone online UK.
In severe cases, delayed prescription filling and non-compliance with the medication schedule can cause their health to decline further and bring the patient closer to death.
Recent technological advancements have reduced the number of people facing this dilemma. There are now ways to get your prescription medications on time, no excuses.
Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)
The EPS, which is an NHS service, has now made it unnecessary for you to go to your GP to collect your repeat prescriptions.
For those who live near a pharmacy but some distance away from their physician, this is a great boon.
This service conveniently gets your prescription sent electronically from your GP, through their service and directly to a pharmacy of your choice, as long as it has upgraded their systems to use EPS.
It decreases your wait-time at the pharmacy itself, as your repeat prescriptions can be prepared and ready to pick up when you arrive. It is perfect for patients who collect their medications from the same place regularly and who find it tiresome to go to their doctor to collect repeat prescriptions. Furthermore, if the prescription must be cancelled, your GP can cancel it electronically and issue a new one, all without you having to make extra trips to the practice.
It is a reliable, secure and confidential service, and even provides a nifty option to send a reminder by phone or email to notify you when your prescription is due.
Registered Online Pharmacies
These represent the next step in the evolution of pharmaceuticals and the convergence of technology with basic pharmacy services. People are increasingly turning to the internet to manage their health and welfare needs.
Registered online pharmacies are pharmacies that cater to an internet-based customer pool. This is the new and improved way to purchase both your prescription and non-prescription drugs.
Through these, it has become ridiculously easy and very convenient to order your repeat prescriptions online and have them delivered to your doorstep. Online pharmacy services can help patients manage their prescriptions and receive free delivery for their repeat prescriptions at the click of a button.
Furthermore, some online pharmacies, like Click Pharmacy, offer online consultations with their healthcare experts, who are available 24/7 for assistance with regards to any queries you may have.
These allow you the never-before known luxury of skipping queues at the pharmacy. They also offer express deliveries for those who may need medication at short notice.
Prescription Apps
There now exist smartphone apps (like Echo, an NHS service) that eliminate the trouble of filling repeat prescriptions by enabling patients to order them through the app and have them delivered to their home free of charge.
All you have to do, after downloading the app to your phone, is to submit details of your GP and the medicines you take. You can do this by searching the app’s database or by scanning the bar codes.
Once you put in a request for a repeat prescription, it is forwarded to your GP for approval, who then sends the prescription to a partnering pharmacy electronically. Your medications are then dispensed and posted to your address.
Besides making ordering your medications and managing your prescriptions a piece of cake, apps like these can also remind you when and how to take your medications and if you are due for another batch: perfect for busy professionals and the lazier amongst us.
Orders through these apps usually have a delivery time of around two working days, but it can vary from app to app and location to location.
Whichever method you choose to use, there is no longer any excuse not to get your prescription medications filled on time. It is recommended to keep track of your medicines so that you can order your next batch before the current one runs out. This prevents any undesirable interruptions in your treatment regimen. With the incredible amenities that modern technology has provided, you can now truly put your health first.
