GP flexibility would be welcomed
MOVES to change the law allowing Jersey residents to collect three months’ worth of prescription medicine at one time are being hailed as an opportunity to free up time for doctors and reduce costs for islanders.
Shame then, that the concept appears to have been dismissed out of hand by the local authorities.
In Guernsey, prescriptions are limited to four weeks supply.
The authorities quite rightly point to the need to reduce drug waste, and no doubt this policy does save thousands of pounds, maybe more, each year.
We have all been left with half-full packets of pills and bottles of medication which are eventually dumped.
However, for islanders with long-standing conditions requiring constant medication, the monthly trip to the doctor is a drag, and on many occasions, a cost, that they could well do without.
Jersey’s approach appears to be in line with guidance from the British Medical Association and their new proposal could mean that in some cases, the patient might only need to be seen by their doctor once a year.
In the UK it’s understood that it is typical to prescribe for a month, or longer if justified.
The regular check-in with a medical practitioner has a value, but surely it is possible to introduce some flexibility, for the requirement for the standing appointment to be extended by a month or two in the right circumstances.