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DisabledAceSocialist [comrade/them] @hexbear.net

Help me write a letter to my GP

As mentioned on here before, my GP surgery has reduced the amount of meds the prescribe me, not on medical grounds, but I believe on cost-saving grounds. The pharmacist in the pharmacy that is joined on to the doctor's surgery recently complained to me about the cost of my meds, and this isn;'t the first time.

The neurologist prescribed me migraine tablets and says I can take one a day as a preventative, but the doctor will only prescribe 8 a month. This is the med the pharmacist complained about - they're £12 a tablet.

Also they recently cut the amount of eczema cream and soap substitute I'm prescribed in half. Again - no medical reason for this. It's just it costs around £20 a bottle so now I'm only allowed one bottle a month instead of two.

I'm writing to the GP to ask him to reconsider, can someone help me? What should I say and how should I phrase it? Would it be going too far to mention that the pharmacist has (publicly, in front of other patients) shamed me for the amount my meds cost the country? Would it be too emotive to say "I know I'm costing the country money but I need these things)?

11 comments

  • I am by no means a master of writing letters. However, I think in this instance, I would stick to the main points and try to keep it brief. In order of importance, in the eyes of the doctor:

    1. The neurologist prescribed them because they deemed it necessary.
    2. The dosage they prescribed was also due to it being a necessity.
    3. The pharmacist has publicly shamed you for needing medication which has had a negative effect on your mental health.

    I wouldn't mention about costing the country money, as that should have no bearing on you getting the support you need. I would be more than happy to proof-read a letter for you if you reply or message me, although I can't promise I'll be timely about it.

    • Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try drawing up a draft tomorrow. But as far as the eczema cream goes, it's the GP who prescribes that. And the GP surgery who have just randomly cut it down to half what it was before. Also I know money should have no bearing on it, but the pharmacist and another person (some high-up person who deals with prescriptions for the whole area) have both complained about the cost of my meds before, so I think it does have a bearing on why they're making it difficult for me to access.

    • Dear Dr R,

      I have noticed that lately I have been prescribed only half the amount of Dermol 500 cream and e45 eczema repair cream I used to receive. I was previously prescribed two bottles of each a month but now receive only one. I am unsure whether this is an oversight or intentional. I would like to ask that my future prescriptions are for two bottles each rather than just one. I need to use Dermol 500 as a soap substitute daily over my entire body, followed by e45 eczema repair cream as a mosituriser and one bottle simply doesn’t last for a month. Prior to being prescribed these items, I was using ordinary soaps and body washes, and it aggravated my eczema to the point that I had open sores that regularly got infected. This resulted in frequent trips to both hospital and the GP surgery and regular treatment with both antibiotic tablets and antibiotic creams. Since switching to these items, the eczema has remained in remission and I have not had any skin infections from it nor needed antibiotic treatment for it.

      I have also previously written to the surgery about my rimegapant prescription, but have received no response. Previously I was taking rizatriptan for migraines, but since I had a stroke, the neurologist prescribed rimegapant because, rizatriptan is contraindicated in stroke patients. I have tried all the other migraine treatments including nerve blocking injections in my head, none of which worked. Rimegapant, along with topiramate, are now the only things I can take that give any relief, and rimegapant can be taken daily as a preventative. However as the GP surgery won’t prescribe more than 8 tablets a month, I am unable to take it daily as a preventative, and so still suffer migraines. Migraine with aura, which I suffer from, doubles the risk of stroke, and as I have had one stroke already I would like to do everything possible to prevent another. The neurologist originally prescribed 8 tablets for me to try to see if they worked, but said I can increase them to daily if they help. They do usually work for me by ending a migraine, but as I don’t receive enough to take daily I still get migraines. Would you please therefore increase the number of rimegapant tablets I am prescribed?

      I also previously wrote to the surgery about my topiramate prescription but have not received any response. I received a letter saying that all female patients taking this medication must take birth control too, as topiramate can cause birth defects. However, I am not sexually active nor have any intentions to be, and I also appear to be going through the menopause. I do not need birth control and am unwilling to take it under any circumstances. Please confirm that i will continue to receive my topiramate prescription.

  • I had a similar situation with medical appliances that were prescribed to me by a specialist
    After a couple months my local GP surgery (who handle the recurring prescription) removed some products from my prescription without telling me, when i phoned them up, the receptionist told me that one of the partners had "determined that the removed products were not necessary"
    I politely but firmly told her that neither of the partners are qualified to determine that, and that i would be notifying the specialist that Dr. [name] was withholding items that he had prescribed
    Two hours later i got a sheepish phone call telling me they had re-added the items and forwarded the prescription to the delivery company

    Maybe playing the GP and specialists off against each other will work for you too?

    • Thanks, I will mention that the neurologist said I can use this daily as a preventative.

      • Be careful between 'can' and 'should'. If your neurologist said you should take 1 a day, that's important. If they said 'can', then you should talk with them about how to know for certain how many to take.

11 comments