GP refusing to issue my regular medications. Had to stop cold turkey & am hallucinating and

StillIRise

I’m under the care of the Community Mental Health Team and have been for a number of years. I have reviews with a Consultant Psychiatrist who’s part of the Mental Health Team approximately ever 8 weeks.  During this appointment he reviews my medication and sends a clinical letter to my GP telling them which medications to issue and at what dose.  I’ve been on the same medications for over a year and my diagnoses include PTSD and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

One of my medications is Pregabalin, which according to NICE guidelines can be described for Generalised Anxiety Disorder.  I’ve been on this for about one and a half years.  With each Psychiatrist appointment the Psychiatrist writes to the GP telling him to continue issuing me this medication every month.  My most recent Psychiatrist appointment was just three weeks ago and he has written to the GP telling the GP to continue prescribing the Pregabalin and other meds unless they hear differently from the Psychiatrist.  There were no changes in my medication.

However, the GP has stated they are not willing to prescribe Pregabalin for now.  They’ve given no reason and no explanation.  They’ve said that they don’t care what the Psychiatrist advises them, they are not prescribing it.  This has resulted in me having to stop Pregabalin cold turkey, which is potentially dangerous to do.  My anxiety is through the roof as a result,  I am suddenly hallucinating and experiencing psychosis-like problems even though I’ve never been diagnosed as psychotic. 

I spoke to the Mental Health Team Friday and today and they said the GP is not allowed to just reject the medication advice from a Consultant Psychiatrist and told me to call the GP again and advise them to issue the prescription ASAP and to refer to the Psychiatrist’s clinical letter if need be.  So I called the GP again and they rejected it again.

This is actually the third time in the past 12 months that the GP has suddenly randomly refused to issue a prescription.  Previously it was a medication for my PTSD that the Psychiatrist had told them to continue issuing.  The GP just suddenly refused and I had to come off it cold turkey for 3 weeks while the Psychiatrist wrote a very strongly-worded letter to the GP telling them to stop messing around with my prescriptions.  After the letter from the Psychiatrist, the GP suddenly issued that particular medication again.

As things stand I’ve had to call 111 who said they will call back within an hour to sort out emergency medication for me. Surely it is not normal to have to go through this amount of struggle to get medication that has been specifically prescribed by a Consultant Psychiatrist?

In the past, my Psychiatrist would just hand me the prescription himself at the end of the appointment.  But now it’s all changed and they seem to write a letter to the GP instead and it’s since that change that everything has been messed up.

Jimm_Scope

Hey @StillIRise, is it a specific GP or the entire practice refusing to prescribe it? I am quite shocked they're refusing if they have a letter from a specialist. I am glad 111 is helping you with an emergency prescription. As I was reading your story I was getting the link to the 111 emergency prescription website ready. 

I would speak to the patient liaison for your local NHS Trust, this page should help you find the closest office to you What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)? - NHS (www.nhs.uk). They will help you with the complaints procedure too if you are wishing to make a formal complaint since this is a recurring issue clearly. GPs may be handled slightly differently but I know you can complain directly to the local Trust and don't have to go through the GP.

katz23

Hi @StillIRise I hope you got this problem sorted.

I am going through the same experience. I have moved area and had to register with a New GP. They have tried to stop meds I’ve been on for 12 @ 15 years.

I seeked help from a support charity today and they were so kind and we’re going to help me issue a complaint. We had a long conversation and then the kind lady realised that my new GP was a Limited Company being paid by the NHS and not an NHS practice. I was told that I could not report them to the NHS as they are private.

I really don’t know what to do now. I will be out of meds in a few days and am in absolute panic mode. I will not be able to cope with the pain and inability to sleep.