Access to prescription meds on Shetland?

[lorelei]

This may be a bit of an odd question but a friend of mine pointed out that it may be more difficult to get hold of some medications on Shetland due to its remote location, so as someone with a long term illness I thought it was worth asking the question.

 

So, are there any major difficulties accessing prescribed medications on Shetland? Can the weather cause issues during the winter and if it does how is this usually managed by GPs/patients?

 

For background, I suffer from autoimmune hypothyroidism so I have to take a daily dose of thyroxine to enable me to live a normal life and experience tells me that after about 3-4 days without any medication, things start to go down hill quite fast and that can be a bit of a sausage when it comes to working (and living) effectively and enjoying life to it's fullest.

[MuckleJoannie]

Not having any experience of the medication you mention I cannot give a direct answer. There are three pharacies in Lerwick and I am sure they could help if you contacted them.

 

http://shetlopedia.com/A._L._Laing

 

http://shetlopedia.com/Boots_The_Chemists

 

http://shetlopedia.com/Freefield_Pharmacy

[lorelei]

Thanks for the links, MuckleJoannie.

 

Also am I going mad or does this board censor anything that's vaguely like a swear word? I'm sure I didn't write the word sausage in that last post....

[Grafter]

No problems with thyroxine. I have been taking it for more than 10 years and have never had any supply problems. Underactive thyroid is very common in Shetland.

[paulb]

depending on the drug and were your getting it from. in winter its always best to have an extra supply in. if its a long term drug then the doctors should have a supply in stock. as others have said your drug is not rare and it should be in stock at your doctors.

[lorelei]

Thanks all, that's really helpful to know if only to quell my silly paranoia about it!

 

Grafter - interesting stuff about underactive thyroid being common in Shetland I wonder if there's any particular reason for that *ponders*

[Njugle]

Also am I going mad or does this board censor anything that's vaguely like a swear word? I'm sure I didn't write the word sausage in that last post....

 

Yes we do, it's a bloody marvellous automated system that restricts foul mouthed outbursts, but has some comical consequences in the less severe of cussing.

 

It's a family friendly forum.

[Twerto]

off topic... it needs to learn to understand context as well by the looks of it njugle ^^ ;P

[Esther.R]

Another with an underactive thyriod here, never had a problem obtaining thyroxine here, is kept in stock as standard in the pharmacy at the surgery. I get 3 months supply at a time and even if I leave it to the last minute to reorder my repeat prescription I have never had a problem, ordered the last lot at 8am and was able to pick it up when I happened to unexpectedly pop into the surgery for something else at 10am the same morning. They usually say allow 48hrs for repeat prescriptions but thyroxine is such a standard medication that it is just not an issue to obtain as it does not need to be ordered in specially but is standard pharmacy stock.

[JustMe]

I have to take a cocktail of drugs for Diabetes and I have known the chemist I use to run out of one of them. Usually just a case of it being available the next day but I guess that running out coupled with severe weather could mean a longer delay. I always try to keep a few days supply in reserve although I think if the ferries were disrupted for too long a way would be found to bring up essential drugs by plane.

[paulb]

the hospital can get it sent up by plane if there is a serious problem. just expensive so not often done.

[Marooned in Maywick]

Oh well - semi-amusing attempt to poke fun at the sweary filter didn't pan out as expected.

 

sausage it