Tirytory

or we can just not agree.... I think anybody who's got the whereabouts to move country especially at an older age can probably work out how to get a doctor and medication sorted. That's why you take medical notes that you hand over to a dr who says on yeah, I'll just write you a prescription....

nativenewyorker

I agree with iank. If you need medications you need some reassurance that you have enough to tide you over until you get settled, find a GP etc. Things are hectic enough as it is without making finding a GP your first priority. I too worked in the NHS and seeing people getting off a plane one day and turning up to have a baby a few days later, before returning on a plane with their child benefit book in their hand luggage gave me no qualms about stocking up with 6 months worth of drugs.

Sally Redux

Does the Canadian system reciprocate? The US one sure as hell doesn't.

Tirytory

I rest my case.... Everybody thinks they have the right.

iaink

The doctor in the UK is ultimately the one making the decision whether to write the script or not. Presumably this is based on clinical criteria seeing as they have a vested interest in not wasting NHS resources.

If they are OK with it, then Im OK with it.

snoopdawg

As someone who has been a GP in both countries, and a patient- I can see all sides of this.
I really understand Tinytory's frustrations, there is a sense of entitlement, often by the very people who actually never contribute, but I sympathise with the difficulties of finding a doctor and getting prescriptions ( some of which may not exist as such) in a new country.
The NHS says if you are going abroad, you can have 3 months medication- anymore then your GP is "officially" breaking the rules but tbh I doubt anyone checks.
If I was a GP in that position ( and I have been) it would probably depend on the medication and my knowledge of the patient. Opiates, tranquilizers would be given only in small amount, diabetic/heart/asthma ( etc) pills in sensible amounts but I would want to know that the patient was responsible and would seek follow up care- for e.g.- too many diabetics would see it as an excuse to miss blood work for a while ( you would be surprised how many need chasing!).
Just to give an example of our difficulties, I spent an interesting afternoon in a workshop about prescribing with the doctor from the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons who watches over prescribing in BC. He was very clear about our position with the numerous Snowbirds that we have. Basically he said, if you prescribe medication, you are responsible for the patient , the medication and any problems, even if that patient had gone to Mexico, Yuma, Fiji, Thailand just to name a few places my patients frequent.

Also to go back to Iaink's comments earlier- I only use drug company samples that I like- there are plenty on the shelves I do not touch.I use them to trial a new medicine, so a patient can see if it suits/works before having to fork out for it- no other reason. As to cost- yes i do have to think out it- I try to be sensitive but the fact is , if you are rich/have extended health care there are some great drugs around that most people can't afford. From comments on this board over the years, it would appear that most expats have some sort of benefits but I promise you most Canadians do not. I assume because most (British) expats ( but not all) go into decent jobs. It's a difficult subject but better I raise the issue in private than a patient be embarrassed at the drug store with a large bill they can't afford.

To the OP: Anti inflammatories are one of the drugs which should not be given in large quantities. As I hope you are aware, they can damage your kidneys, put your blood pressure up, cause some heart problems and can cause irritation of your stomach- at it's worst an ulcer which may bleed ( with devastating consequences!). Your UK GP cannot monitor you in Canada for any of these and your loved ones would rightly want answers should any harm come to you!
When you arrive, phone walk in clinics/local hospital. Ask for a list of GPs accepting patients, ask also who is always accepting patients- cross them off first list!
Try the others- prepare for waiting lists- quite normal. Also find nice friends/relatives- the only new patients I now take on are referrals from current patients that I like and trust. I would suspect that most GP with full lists do the same. I just replace the ones who have moved away. In the meantime, any walk in clinic should be happy to keep you going with scripts but you will have to pay.

colchar

Healthcare is excellent here. And based on NHS horror stories I am not sure healthcare back in Britain is all it is cracked up to be.

SchnookoLoly

I have been happy with the health care received in both countries. There is of course a few horror stories from each. I'm sure we can all toss both good and bad experiences around all day. The systems are set up slightly differently.

Here's one experience from the NHS where I have mixed feelings. My mom was visiting in the UK just before my wedding, and she fell down the stairs in my flat and dislocated her toe. She has travel insurance, so I took her to the walk-in clinic first, where they then told her to go to the hospital to have an xray done and probably have the toe re-set. We left all our contact information with them so they could send a bill.

Mom then went to the hospital. She had an xray done to determine it wasn't broken, then was given local anaesthetic while the doctor re-set the toe, then a second xray to ensure it was set properly. Again she left all her contact information so they could send a bill.

That was over two years ago, and we have never received a bill, neither from the walk-in nor the hospital. Mom's insurance company has called a few times to check on it, they've said they're ready to pay, they just need the bill first. Mom just keeps telling them she hasn't received it.

When Husband looked into it, he found that the NHS offers free emergency care to anyone. Mom tried to give her insurance information, had her passport and all that with her, and they weren't interested. In fact, when she tried to put her Canadian address, she was told at both the clinic and the hospital that she had to provide a UK address. She did provide mine, but what would a visitor staying at a hotel have done? Given the hotel's address?

I've not had to deal with health care in Canada when a tourist, but I know when Husband got a tick bite when we were in the US, the hospital took a $500 deposit before they'd even see him, and then sent a bill to the UK for the remainder of the balance, and that bill arrived about 2 weeks after the visit (a week after we got back to the UK).

And we are surprised that the NHS seems to have no money? Last I checked two xrays and anaesthetic don't run cheap...

So good that Mom got great care as a foreigner, she was really impressed... but bad we were never billed for it. She literally got FREE care as a foreigner!

orly

The person getting the 6 month prescription does. That's the point.

Tirytory

Does that make any sense to you? Cause it doesn't to me. If you're going to quote me can you use a complete sentence?

Plus did you read and understand Snoopdawg's post?

bats

I've worked in both. I wouldn't say that healthcare is excellent here or in the UK. It can be but I see some very odd, very old fashioned things going on here. I've also seen bad stuff in the NHS but at least there you are able to know the doctors statistics, their success rates. You know that your medical record is in one piece not scattered amongst various doctors offices and the hospital. You know that you will be treated by a specialist when in hospital and not by your GP, who are a different kind of specialist. You know that you won't have to worry about paying for chemotherapy, for hearing aids, or getting your kids teeth fixed.

iaink

Yeah, the province should have some kind of electronic health record thing set up....They could call it "eHealth" or something!


The premier must know someone who could do something about that!
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspa...h_ontario.html

<Ducks and runs>

scrubbedexpat091

Extended health mentioning on this board tends to make it sound like its a common benefit offered by employers when its not really. I've been here a decade now, and never once has a company I worked for offered extended health benefits and I don't personally know anyone who has this sort of benefit.

I've not filled more then one prescription over the years because the cost was too high, and the doctor didn't have samples or a low cost alternative.

bats

I agree with you. I regularly talk to patients who do not take meds because they can't afford them.

ArthurBrit

I've worked for 4 different companies here and 1 of them gave me free benefits and 2 of them gave me benefits weren't free the other offered me nothing.

Of the 2 companies that offered me benefits that I had to pay for one of the companies thought it was within there rights to force me to pay for them