Irritation of the Eyes
Discussion
Daft one so bear with me.
I wear orthokeratology contact lenses on a night as through the day I generally suffer from allergies and this time of year predominantly hay fever, thus can't reasonably wear day time lenses.
As orthoK is a bit specialist, I've been using the same trusted and we'll respected optician for years. Further to the allergy issues I was recommended (by optician) some eye drops which come in small viles, don't contain preservative (allergic to the preservative in normal stuff) and available on prescription only. I took my opticians recommendation to my GP a few years back and have been getting repeat amounts of the eye drops every summer since - no issues. Until now.
My NHS GP now won't issue a repeat prescription from my opticians and insists that I have to use the local Specsavers in town instead, so that they will make a recommendation - and won't accept recommendations from elsewhere. I pay my optician 45/month for all their services.
Specsavers won't issue any sort of recommendation without an exam and monies trading places. When pushing the subject further - now frustrated with the whole scenario, the GP gets a kickback from Specsavers on the referral thus making monies through the back door. In the big bad commercial world - seems to make sense, but then this is supposed to be the NHS.
All the while I'm, through this route, without my eye drops.
Is this standard practice or is it as dodgy as it seems to me?
Twist of the day over.
I wear orthokeratology contact lenses on a night as through the day I generally suffer from allergies and this time of year predominantly hay fever, thus can't reasonably wear day time lenses.
As orthoK is a bit specialist, I've been using the same trusted and we'll respected optician for years. Further to the allergy issues I was recommended (by optician) some eye drops which come in small viles, don't contain preservative (allergic to the preservative in normal stuff) and available on prescription only. I took my opticians recommendation to my GP a few years back and have been getting repeat amounts of the eye drops every summer since - no issues. Until now.
My NHS GP now won't issue a repeat prescription from my opticians and insists that I have to use the local Specsavers in town instead, so that they will make a recommendation - and won't accept recommendations from elsewhere. I pay my optician 45/month for all their services.
Specsavers won't issue any sort of recommendation without an exam and monies trading places. When pushing the subject further - now frustrated with the whole scenario, the GP gets a kickback from Specsavers on the referral thus making monies through the back door. In the big bad commercial world - seems to make sense, but then this is supposed to be the NHS.
All the while I'm, through this route, without my eye drops.
Is this standard practice or is it as dodgy as it seems to me?
Twist of the day over.
Utter rubbish, your GP can't recommend or insist a commercial practice without getting into lots of trouble with the GMC especially if there is any suggestion of underhand practice. I'd rather doubt that anyway.
They can be disinclined to agree with the recommendation and prescribe it but presumably you pay for your prescriptions in which case they could use something else.
I'd be inclined to ask why they won't honour a prescription from a similarly qualified optom (have it in writing) and if they still won't ask for another medic.
Frankly they are usually only too happy to go along with a recommendations of someone who knows a lot more about eyes than they do.
They can be disinclined to agree with the recommendation and prescribe it but presumably you pay for your prescriptions in which case they could use something else.
I'd be inclined to ask why they won't honour a prescription from a similarly qualified optom (have it in writing) and if they still won't ask for another medic.
Frankly they are usually only too happy to go along with a recommendations of someone who knows a lot more about eyes than they do.
Edited by DKL on Tuesday 18th June 20:38
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