Having prescriptions filled in Emergency a waste of doctor’s time

By Letter to the Editor on October 13, 2021.

Editor:
Previously I have sent this modified email twice to my local MLA’s Mr. Nathan Neudorf and Ms. Shannon Phillips.
Neither did reply, not even an computer generated reply.
While I have still access to a family physician, there are several members of my family and many other people of Lethbridge who do not.
This creates not only a problem of getting medicine prescriptions, but also clogs up the emergency department of the hospital.
The only option they have is to go to the hospital emergency to get a prescription for medication.
The wait time for getting a prescription is six or more hours.
Personally, I am on the same medication and dosage for more than 15 years, yet I can get only a three-month refill for some and for other prescriptions only one month.
Thus I have to make every month an appointment which wastes the physician’s time that he could use to see other patients.
In my view, a year or more of monthly refills would save time and money. I seem to remember that there was a suggestion not long ago of having pharmacists be able to fill those long term prescriptions, it would be nice if that would materialize.
I hope this is something you would be willing to look into.
Johannes van Raamt
Lethbridge