Repeat Prescription Report: The Patients Voice

Healthwatch Luton were asked by the Health and Social Care Review Group (a sub-group of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee) to carry out an independent review of the repeat prescription process in Luton, representing the patient's voice. Healthwatch Luton spoke to over 344 people directly affected by the repeat prescription process. They visited over 30 GP surgeries and over 40 pharmacies.

Discussions with the community pharmacists found that most of them hoped to have the relationship developed between themselves and the GP's. The main focus of developing the relationship between the two professional groups would be to have better communications on patient's needs being met, particularly those with recurring or long term health conditions. 

There were also discussions on the EPS (electronic prescription service), and how the report should have included questions on this. Some surgeries are still not live on this service, and some claim to be live on the EPS but still do not use it. 

There were some discussions on those who struggle financially, and the disabled, having to travel to their GP and then pharmacist regarding their repeat prescriptions, where before these people were able to go direct to their pharmacist. The report did not ask questions regarding this, although it did highlight 30% of those asked had some form of disability.

 There was a discussion with the pharmacists on 'vulnerable patients' , and how the lists from the surgeries are not clearly determined between the GP's and pharmacists. The GP's hold a list of what they class as 'vulnerable' and their criteria for them being vulnerable differs to the criteria many pharmacists use. This has led to pharmacists experiencing issues with patients who they would deem as vulnerable, but whom the GP does not recognise as vulnerable. 

There were discussions with elderly patients who voiced concerns about their future mobility issues, and whether this would affect their outlook on the process in the future.