"Refills Dilemma"

I was diagnosed with RA in 2008 and have been taking DMARDS ever since. I am required to get my blood tested every 4 weeks. At one point my Rheumatologist advised I could go to less often testing, 6 weekly. He wrote to the GP and I started booking my blood tests at the new frequency.

Unfortunately, when I came to order my refills, I was always told that I had to have a blood test, even though I had always been compliant to my blood test schedule. I couldn't get them to agree to distribute my meds despite this compliance. It happened over and over again so I started to go back to 4 week intervals and have been managing quite well for several years up until recently.

The last two times I've ordered prescriptions, I have been refused because 3 weeks had elapsed since my blood test. They will put in for my other drugs but never my Dmards until after the next test. Because I travel quite a bit for my job, trying to fit in a blood test at the last minute so I can get medications before travel has proven to be very stressful. I am therefore now requesting blood tests every 3 weeks. What a waste of time and money for the NHS. And, yes, I have tried to work it out with staff here but to no avail.