Pharmacist only gives 28 days worth of tablets

First check what your Dr has written on the prescription. Sometimes the prescription has 28/30 tablets written on it (based on the pack size). In this case, the pharmacist must give the specified quantity. If the Dr puts 1/12 or a month, then the pharmacist can give an original pack containing 28 or 30 tablets. Or they may give sufficient tablets to cover the month which may involve cutting into a new blister pack. This practice is unheard of in most other countries and is not considered good practice but Irish patients expect it.

Generally the pharmacist will try to give the same quantity of all monthly medications, e.g. if one comes in a pack of 30, then any in a 28 pack will have 2 added.

On the Drug Refund scheme, you pay for the number of tablets you get. You can save money by getting all 6 months in one go as you pay only one dispensing fee. It's probably not a good idea unless you are well-established on the medicine as if it doesn't suit you, then you've wasted money on medicine you can't use (and no, you shouldn't sell it on to friend :))

On the Drug Payment Scheme, the cost of the drug is subsidised by the government so the patient only pays €90 max. (I'm deliberately not mentioning the current dispute as it's off-topic). This allows for a month, again, it depends how it's worded on the prescription but in practice, the pharmacist will make up any shortfall - the patient will not have to pay extra.

If anyone is unhappy with their current arrangement, a quick chat with the pharmacist should sort it out.
 
ubiquitous said:
This practice is a major problem for patients on long-term medication for ongoing conditions. For some patients, for example those with psychiatric conditions, can have serious (and sometimes horrific) consequences, as it serves a temptation for the patient to do without their medication for a few days.
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On the flip side it helps to prevent interactions between drugs. Take the common scenario where people are on many different medicines and one of the prescriptions is changed by the doctor, the pharmacists has more of a chance of picking up possible interactions earlier if the patient is in for their drugs every 28 days instead of every 6 months.

Remember that doctors know very little about drugs, only what they see in their books or what the drugs rep tells them! Its the pharmacists that are the experts.

Am sure that a pharmacist would love to dispense all the drugs for 6 months in one go as its less overhead for them (paperwork etc), but am sure that they are following best practise by dispensing long running prescriptions monthly.

So if in doubt ask the pharmacist!
 
I’m an pharmacist so here goes:

To the original poster (Krewbot),
It depends on the drug you’re getting. Let’s say, for example, it’s a contraceptive pill or HRT. This is always taken in 28-day cycles, so the pharmacist couldn’t actually give you 30 or 31 tablets even if you asked for it.
For most other types of drugs, pharmacists would usually give 30-day supplies to avoid the 28-30 day issue. Most likely is you’re going in, he’s looking at his computer screen and just giving you what you always got in the past, so just ask him/her next time for an extra two tablets and it shouldn’t be a problem.

There is generally no problem with getting more than one month's supply at a time. If the medicine is inexpensive this is maybe the easiest way to do it (unless you then lose all your medicine, which happens). Please note that for some types of drugs, e.g. sedatives, painkillers, the pharmacist will not give more than one month supply.
 
ubiquitous said:
This practice is a major problem for patients on long-term medication for ongoing conditions. For some patients, for example those with psychiatric conditions, can have serious (and sometimes horrific) consequences, as it serves a temptation for the patient to do without their medication for a few days.
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Just in response to this as well, most psychiatric clinics write prescriptions for weekly/two-week/four-week lots, because they are held on the same day every week. So, if a patient got 30 days of tablets but was going to the clinic every 28 days, then he would be building up supplies of potentially harmful meds. (And there is no difference in profitability for the pharmacist)
 
Interesting thread.

I am being treated for a primary illness and secondary related conditions with 4 daily tablets. 1 of these drugs is packaged in 14 day blister-packs, another is in 28 day blister packs and yet another is packaged in 7 day blister packs. Each of these drugs has the day named on each blister, which is very handy as an aide memoire.

However, the main drug I take is packaged in a 30-day blister pack and the pharmacist cuts two tablets from the package when dispensing this drug
for me.

Last month, when I got my prescription home, I discovered that I had been given a collection of "cut-offs" from 30-day blister packs of this latter drug, which made it a bit of a nightmare each morning tracking whether I had taken the tablet or not, although I am someone who would regard himself as being reasonably organised and "compos mentis".

My doctor renews my prescription every five months and writes up my prescriptions for monthly dispensing, but the pharmacist and drug companies seem fixated on 28 day cycles.

Unlike OP, the costs of my drugs are covered on my long-term illness card, but we still seem to have primary health-care givers, GP's, working at odds with product dispensers and their suppliers.
 
You have to pay (up to) €90 for each month's prescription, based on usage, not purchase patterns. If you get 2 months worth of medicine in 1 go, then you should pay 2 lots, so up to €180.
If the chemist isn't charging you twice, then good for you.
If people were able to order multiple months in 1 go, and pay just €90, the costs would soar for the government.

Before when i was going travelling, I wanted to purchase 6 months of drugs, but the chemist said I had to get authorisation from the Health Board. They gave me just 3 months, and then faxed the authorisation for this to my chemist. Only then would the chemist dispatch multiple amounts to me.
But it probably depends on the type of medication you're on.
 
It funny, the direct opposite happened me.... If I purchase the tablets under the Drug Purchase scheme I get an amount for that month usually 30 days supply. This is to stop me hetting a month(s) supply for free.If I purchase it privately I will only get a 28 days supply. The main reason for this was eluded to by giardiniera. If I have a repeating monthy perscription and I purchase my tablets on the 1st of the month under the DPS for arguments sake for €90, then 28 days later on the 29th I can get them for free. To stop this, they usually give you at least 30 days supply.
I have been on the scheme for 15 years and have never thought to ask if I can have my 6 month supply up front & only pay for 1 months supply...
It sickens me (excuse the pun) that the limit for the drugs goes up each year. Nobody wants to be dependant on a permanant drug supply for the rest of their lives, yet the government just wants to squezze every drop of blood out of us (excuse the pun again). Thank god I am in remission, though I still need to take the tablets.
One other bug bear about it is the that the perscription only has a life span of 6 months. My consultant wanted me to come back in 9 months time to see him again. I said I would be willing, if he was willing to post date by 6 months another perscription. I explained that his first perscription would expire in 6 months and the only way that I could get a perscription was for my local GP to charge me €60 for my visit and the perscription. He did not post date my perscription & he called me back in 6 months. I will have my perscription filled tomorrow & sods law they will give me 28 days supply. This will probably happen as I opted out of the scheme as such so that I could claim some back it tax with out any complications..:D
PS : I find Pharmacists usually very helpful.
 
Conor_28 said:
There is generally no problem with getting more than one month's supply at a time. If the medicine is inexpensive this is maybe the easiest way to do it (unless you then lose all your medicine, which happens). Please note that for some types of drugs, e.g. sedatives, painkillers, the pharmacist will not give more than one month supply.
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Conor I am very interested in this as I have a chronic long term illness and have to pay my Pharmacy the maximum payment each month for my prescriptions even though I have a six monthly prescription from the hospital. Do you mean to say that there are pharmacies who would give me six months supply and only charge me one months fee, i.e. €90?

Sorry I know this has gone off topic a bit but I would be very interested if I could save any money towards my ongoing medical costs.

As for the OP, talk to your Pharmacist about their practice of only giving you 28 days. My pharmacist always adds in two extra tablets for any medication I have that comes in 28 day blister packs. I am on 15 different tablets per day and quite a substantial number of them come in 28 day packs.
 
Ris said:
Conor I am very interested in this as I have a chronic long term illness and have to pay my Pharmacy the maximum payment each month for my prescriptions even though I have a six monthly prescription from the hospital. Do you mean to say that there are pharmacies who would give me six months supply and only charge me one months fee, i.e. €90?

.
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Hi,

No unfortunately on that scheme you can't get more than a month's supply for your €90. The pharmacist wouldn't be able to claim back the cost. If someone's monthly medicines come to less than €90, it can be worth getting the full 6 months dispensed at once to save on theh dispensing fee.

Don't forget you can claim tax relief on the charges.

Also, depending on what your illness is, you might be eligible for the Long Term Illness scheme. It's quite restrictive though and I'd imagine your pharmacist would already have suggested it if you were eligible but no harm asking.

I know it's a lot of money but it's better than having to pay the full cost - I nearly fainted when I heard how much some drugs cost!
 
gnubbit said:
Hi,

No unfortunately on that scheme you can't get more than a month's supply for your €90. The pharmacist wouldn't be able to claim back the cost. If someone's monthly medicines come to less than €90, it can be worth getting the full 6 months dispensed at once to save on theh dispensing fee.

Don't forget you can claim tax relief on the charges.

Also, depending on what your illness is, you might be eligible for the Long Term Illness scheme. It's quite restrictive though and I'd imagine your pharmacist would already have suggested it if you were eligible but no harm asking.

I know it's a lot of money but it's better than having to pay the full cost - I nearly fainted when I heard how much some drugs cost!
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Thanks for clearing that up gnubbit. I thought it might be too good to be true! Ive never claimed tax relief on the charges. I will investigate that. Unfortunately my illness doesnt come under the Long Term Illness Scheme even though its a chronic long term incurable illness - go figure! I have been in touch with the powers that be but so far no luck! I will keep trying though!

Thanks again
 
Ris said:
Thanks for clearing that up gnubbit. I thought it might be too good to be true! Ive never claimed tax relief on the charges. I will investigate that. Unfortunately my illness doesnt come under the Long Term Illness Scheme even though its a chronic long term incurable illness - go figure! I have been in touch with the powers that be but so far no luck! I will keep trying though!

Thanks again
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You're very welcome.

You can claim tax relief on your expenses for the last 4 years so that's something at least.

I agree, it seems very arbitrary what counts for the LTI scheme and what doesn't - good for you for fighting it!
 
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