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Many patients now may be wondering whether going on ‘half rations’ might be a way to eke out their medicines, should replenishing supplies become difficult.
Which of my tablets really matter? What’s best to do if I look like running out? Take one tablet instead of two, take a tablet once a day rather than twice, break a tablet in half, take a tablet every other day rather than every day, alternative medicines, stop taking them and restart when something happens - like my blood pressure goes up? Are all tablets the same? Should I try to buy more tablets online? If I’ve some old (out of date) tablets should I use them? If someone sells me some in the pub should I use them? And might this be an opportunity for me to come off some of my medicines?
These are not easy questions to answer, but if medicines become less easily available patients will be forced to make choices. If we can’t provide medicines - we should provide them with advice.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
28 February 2019
Mark Davies
consultant in anaesthesia & perioperative medicine
Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
Re: Brexit: GPs are told to resist patients’ requests to overprescribe
Many patients now may be wondering whether going on ‘half rations’ might be a way to eke out their medicines, should replenishing supplies become difficult.
Which of my tablets really matter? What’s best to do if I look like running out? Take one tablet instead of two, take a tablet once a day rather than twice, break a tablet in half, take a tablet every other day rather than every day, alternative medicines, stop taking them and restart when something happens - like my blood pressure goes up? Are all tablets the same? Should I try to buy more tablets online? If I’ve some old (out of date) tablets should I use them? If someone sells me some in the pub should I use them? And might this be an opportunity for me to come off some of my medicines?
These are not easy questions to answer, but if medicines become less easily available patients will be forced to make choices. If we can’t provide medicines - we should provide them with advice.
Competing interests: No competing interests