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Letters Jan. 12: Prescription renewal hassles; municipal issues

Orphaned patients and prescription renewals Re: 鈥淒rug refills after my family doctor retired,鈥 letter, Jan. 10. We too recently were orphaned when our doctor passed suddenly, leaving us with no solution but long waits at clinics.
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Orphaned patients and prescription renewals

Re: 鈥淒rug refills after my family doctor retired,鈥 letter, Jan. 10.

We too recently were orphaned when our doctor passed suddenly, leaving us with no solution but long waits at clinics.

We鈥檝e read the recent letter encouraging the government to allow pharmacists be allowed to renew unchanged prescriptions for stable clients.

Makes perfect sense to me. In our case it would mean the system saving the cost of at least eight unnecessary clinic visits. Plus saving many hours of wasted time and stress waiting in a clinic.

This practical solution would also allow clinic doctors more time to treat patients truly in need.

Joe and Yvonne Artibise
Colwood

Time wasted with prescription renewals

The issue brought to our attention by the letter-writer is dire for a lot of people, including me. My GP retired in December, three days after I saw him and when he renewed two heart-related prescriptions for two consecutive three-month periods.

He emailed after that visit advising me to go to the website of the sa国际传媒 physicians and surgeons and try to find a new GP. He couldn鈥檛, or wouldn鈥檛, even recommend one. Just how many people in sa国际传媒 have to do that?

I, for one, will follow that letter-writer鈥檚 advice and on a daily basis email a letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix demanding he change our current system, which doesn鈥檛 allow pharmacists to renew our meds, without patients having to attend 鈥 and wait and wait at 鈥 a walk-in clinic.

Lorne Peasland
Saanich

They should focus on municipal issues

Re: 鈥淭ogether Victoria nominates Stefanie Hardman to run in Victoria byelection,鈥 Jan. 5.

Stefanie Hardman, the newly nominated Together Victoria candidate for the municipal byelection, says: 鈥渂y voting for me, you have voted to do politics differently.鈥 But according to the article, she鈥檚 pre-occupied with the concerns of renters, the homeless and low-paid workers.

How is this politics done differently?

The last thing that Victoria needs is yet another municipal politician focused on issues that are a provincial responsibility. We already have a city council predominated by like-minded individuals, with little to show for their efforts. The number of homeless has not decreased despite endless talk for years. Rents continue to increase. Is it any wonder, given that these are primarily provincial responsibilities?

And what exactly is a municipal politician going to do about the plight of 鈥渓ow-paid workers,鈥 whose wages and working conditions are set by the provincial government?

Can we please hear from a candidate who is genuinely concerned about municipal issues?

Here are examples:

鈥 The stalled amalgamation process.

鈥 Falling property values.

鈥 Ensuring value for taxpayer dollars.

鈥 Aging roads and infrastructure.

鈥 Public transit.

鈥 Keeping major businesses downtown.

鈥 Attracting new business and stimulating the city鈥檚 economy.

鈥 Enhancing the tourist industry.

鈥 Assisting the high-tech industry by helping to attract skilled workers.

Chris Lawson
Victoria

Just how big a deal was聽it聽anyway?

Re: 鈥淯Vic students walk out, join pipeline protest,鈥 Jan. 11.

A better and more precise opening paragraph for this story might have been, 鈥淟ess than one per cent of UVic students cut classes for a brief walk around campus Friday.鈥 And this applies to the majority of climate-related stories, which far too often lack definition and perspective.

George Manning
Langford

Respect for the Duke and聽Duchess of Sussex

It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e a royalist or not, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first and foremost are human beings and deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity that you also deserve.

Prince Harry did not choose his parents and life situation, anymore than you chose yours.

Can you imagine your life if every time you stepped outside of your home you were accosted by a mob of rude photographers?

Stop for a moment and think about it. What a horrible way to live. A gilded cage is still a cage. At some point no amount of money is worth the high price of not having any sovereignty over your own life.

As a community, let鈥檚 respect their desire for privacy. Let鈥檚 treat others the way we would like to be treated. Speak kind words instead of nasty words. It鈥檚 just the right thing to do.

JC Siemens
Victoria

Send us your letters

鈥 Email: [email protected]

鈥 Mail: Letters to the editor, sa国际传媒, 2621聽Douglas St., Victoria, sa国际传媒 V8T 4M2.