Canada Values Health - Dialogue on Health Care -

Can we achieve better value for money with prescription renewals?

2009-03-09 09:31:15

Would it achieve better value for money if patients were able to renew prescriptions without visiting their family doctor or GP? What are the drawbacks? How might pharmacists play a role?

Your responses
Prescription Renewal Hugh Paton Posted: 2009-11-02 19:52:35 Better value would be achieved by: 1. Trial prescriptions for 7-14 days for some 1st time prescriptions until patient responds and settles on drug; 2. first renewal by physician 3. subsequent renewals by pharmacist within guidelines regarding routine bloodwork, blood pressure, etc monitoring which could be done by LPN, pharmacist or physician depending on disease. in 90% of current repeat prescriptions, yes, better value could be achieved.
Renewing Presciptions Trina Bottos Posted: 2009-04-07 12:52:25 I have a thyroid condition which requires daily medication and once a year I have lab work done to determine if the current prescribed dose is still effective. My family physician is thus able to monitor this condition. The most medication I can receive at one time is a three monthâs supply of 90 pills. Though these are relatively inexpensive and I can easily meet the dispensing fee to renew this prescription I am supposed to visit my family doctor â that means about four visits a year to a very busy family doctor by a person who feels healthy and doesnât really want to be taking up a Doctorâs time on such a trivial matter as routine prescription renewal. Because of the routine nature of this renewal request frequently my physician will do the renewal by phone and, though in my case this makes good common sense, I know that, technically he isnât supposed to be doing this. When a locum replaces him and I need a prescription renewal I have to make an appointment with the locum doctor and request this in person. All of this costs the system unnecessarily
Renewing Prescriptions nussy Posted: 2009-03-28 04:40:09 My Doc insists on seeing me to renew all my prescriptions. I think that its a waste of time and money. All it should take is a phone call.
prescription renewals ann carson Posted: 2009-03-12 14:47:38 Pharmacist first. If standard renewal for use in chronic cases etc, he/she can make the judgment about whether the patient should see a doctor. Pharmacists are trained to be alert to drug "users" etc
Alberta's approach mariellb Posted: 2009-03-11 12:05:12 In Alberta, we do allow pharmacists to renew prescriptions.. but only until the patient can see their doctor. For chronic disease states, like high cholesterol or hypertension, pharmacists have extensive training on how to monitor how the drugs are working, how to interpret lab values, and how to adjust the medications as necessary. Pharmacists have the training to be able to monitor disease states like this, and are readily accessible to do so, unfortunately our current health care system means that they are only paid to fill prescriptions. We must encourage our government to make more changes to the profession of pharmacy such that these very highly educated, university trained drug experts are not wasting their knowledge counting pills.
Use the pharmacist murray rubin Posted: 2009-03-10 06:53:04 Pharmacists should be allowed under certain conditions to repeat all prescriptions save narcotics and controlled drugs.