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Lloyds pharmacy

Started by Nomad, 14-12-18, 10:29AM

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Nomad

I'm not surprised at the time scale, it could easily go to 24 months, perhaps more.  Took me 3 years to win a grievance against Tesco so I am no stranger to companies tac-tics in hoping that you give up and go away.

One of the authorities involved gives the other party 6 months to give a final reply, why I don't know or understand.  If that final reply is not correct then on we go.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Nomad

I have documentary proof from Lloyds head office and one of the regulatory bodies that I, or anybody else, are not required to sign or tick prescriptions for themselves,  nor when presenting/collecting for anybody else who fits in the same criteria.

Namely age exempt under 16 or over 60 and presenting a printed prescription which includes age or D.O.B.

So I have not got a bloody clue what the last 18 months have been about, or possibly the next 18/24 months.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

tumshie

Stupidity.
I find that's often the explanation.

Nomad

Still ongoing.  Strange that out of three large national dispensing pharmacies two have no problem in dispensing with no signature, as long as the customer(s) fulfil the required criteria, and the other one does.

It appears by current communications that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman(PHSO) may have the power to arbitrary modify an existing contract between two independent bodies (NHS and a pharmaceutical company).
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Nomad

Fast approaching 12 month anniversary, or 30 months since first refusal to dispense medicines.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

optout

#55
hmmmm I wonder if they've thought of using the old 'grind em down tactics'. ;D


They are so predictable.

There must be an massive back-log of complaints to these people, after-all, how else could they possibly justify the procrastinatory (do hope that is a word) nature of their complaints procedure.

Maybe send them a birthday card when the complaint reaches 2 years old.
I AM NOT A REP, BUT......

Nomad

 'grind em down tactics' you think  :-*

A card, what a wonderful suggestion  :)  :thumbup:
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

lucgeo

Perhaps they're hoping you've passed over in the meantime, due to non medication  ???
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

Nomad

 ;D

Luckily there are at least two other major pharmaceutical chains that have no problem sticking to their contract with the NHS and dispense medicines to the over 60's without a signature.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

penguin

Hard to believe, whatever ones view on the matter, it is still not resolved after all this time.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

Nomad

It has now passed into the hands of another official supervisory body.  Some months to go yet.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

coffee_tea

The only time you should be signing the back of an age exempt pre-printed script or EPS token is for controlled medication, in that box. You are quite correct! Keep it up - some pharmacists say the NHS scanner gets a bit pissy when there’s no signature in the bottom box, so maybe that’s filtered down in Lloyd’s and got muddled. No excuse tho.

Nomad

#62
"some pharmacists say the NHS scanner gets a bit pissy when there’s no signature in the bottom box"

@coffee_tea, yes I've had that response/excuse but as you may guess my thought on that is - 'not my problem'   :-*

One of my family regularly has a controlled drug, which I have absolutely no problem signing for in the little grey box as that is what is required by the NHS.

A little foot note:-
Don't bother with the PHSO (Parliament and Health Service Ombudsman) they confirm in a letter that it is correct that an age exempt prescription need not be signed, yet that it is reasonable for a pharmacist to ask you to sign.  I have never said it was unreasonable to ask, only that it was wrong to refuse to dispense.  They (PHSO) cannot will not help as I have no evidence that they (pharmacist) refused to dispense medication, and pharmacy company have no record of refusals,  what a surprise >:(

Short of physical persuasion any suggestions how one would get a pharmacist to sign a piece of paper confirming their refusal to dispense  :question:  8-)

It continues.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Nomad

Update.  The General Pharmaceutical Council Has confirmed that medicines should not be withheld if a patient exercises their right not to sign an age exempt prescription.  They have also contacted Lloyds to remind them of this fact.

The drive for justice, apologies and some redress continues.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

tumshie

"Short of physical persuasion any suggestions how one would get a pharmacist to sign a piece of paper confirming their refusal to dispense"

Get out your phone and ask them to star in a short video 'No Drugs Today' maybe??

Nomad

tumshie  :), for some reason I have serious doubts that they will acquiesce,  but in reality they should be required to give written reason for refusal, if there is no such requirement why did the Parliamentary & Health Service ombudsman expect there to be  records of the refusals  :question:

:question: why would an ombudsman use as part of their decision making the non existence of a record not required to be kept  8-)

However 99% sure it will be starting journey through Money Claim on line system in July.  Just sorting out the mass of emails letters etc supporting our case.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Nomad

Just a little bump, I'm still exchanging emails with regulatory bodies, but keeping an eye on the three year deadline for personal injury claims.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

penguin

It really does make the mind boggle to think this is still ongoing, you and I have very different views on this Nomad but once the regulators have said no you do not need to sign and confirmed it to the pharmacy one really would expect that to be the final word on it all.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

Nomad

#68
One would think so  8-)

NHS Business Services Authority, Parliamentary and Health service Ombudsman, General Pharmaceutical Council, NHS England and Lloyds have each in turn referred me to one of the other four as being the body responsible for overseeing the standards of pharmacists and/or their employer, and therefore it is them that I should address my concerns.

Every one of them has confirmed that we (my wife and I) are not required to tick or sign the rear of a prescription as we are over 60 and our DOB is 'digitally' printed on the prescription.

Can you believe that one of the above (not Lloyds) brought up the question of 'fitness to practise', however they did not see  that a pharmacist refusing to release medicines to a 'customer' with serious multiple medical problems as being a 'fitness to practise' issue.   :o

An alternative pharmacy was visited recently the assistant asked three times for permission to sign on behalf of the customer, thrice that permission was denied as they(customer) are not required to sign, ergo nobody else is therefore required to sign in their stead.  However the pharmacist instructed the assistant to sign.   >:(

There are person(s) who see the signing of prescription as a record of medicines having been collected, for those who are require to sign it is an attempt to prevent fraud on the NHS.  There are many many alternative ways to record collections.

I remain unsure as to who appointed pharmacists as divine beings  :question:
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Nomad

In fairness to those who have followed and/or replied in this thread I feel I should make perhaps a last post on this matter.

As stated in my above post four bodies concerned with overseeing pharmacy standards confirmed that persons over 60 or under 16 are not required to tick or sign a prescription provided their age is digitally printed on the prescription, however all these bodies continued in their correspondence to say that we should, even though we are not required to do so.  Needless to say I would never approach these bodies again nor would I advise any other person to do so if they have a genuine complaint re: pharmacies or pharmacists.

The wrongful refusal to dispense medicines due to no signature caused stress  and triggered unexpectedly a relapse in a serious life long neurological condition in a family member, a relapse which caused considerable pain and discomfort over a Christmas and new year holiday period.

I had hopes of seeking redress for the pain and suffering via the  MCOL system.  The problem would be that as it is not for a set amount of monies owed It would have to be a claim made through the county court system.  This I could/would not do for several reason, the time and work involved, the potential cost both actual and potential to myself, the last(actually first) reason being placing more stress on my family member.

Would I use any Lloyds pharmacy again, I might but my life would have to depend on it.  Would I like nobody to use Lloyds, you bet I would. 

I  reaffirm the point I made in early posts that two other major national pharmacy chains except that no signature is required in the circumstance within the above criteria, and neither seek a signature nor have ever refused to dispense medicines.  I have documentary proof from the  NHSBSA  that medicine refusal is considered a "failure of duty" of care by a pharmacist.

My biggest regret is that on the third refusal to dispense I verbally challenged the pharmacist for an explanation of their behaviour, when he refused to talk to me I called him a "very rude person", no expletives were used and no threats were made and yet I was barred from this Lloyds pharmacy.

I'm 75 this year and like a lot of persons of such age I am beginning to tire of fighting, I will always and all ways encourage the younger generation to stick up for their rights if they genuinely 100% know they are right.

However I have retained the majority, if not all, correspondence and if any media wish to contact me please do.

Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

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