Repeat Prescriptions

Medication Ordering Methods

Both GP practices and community pharmacies are under immense pressure as a consequence of the increased volume of prescriptions being requested.

In order to process repeat prescription requests in the most timely and efficient manner, the way you order your prescription may need to change; the following methods are strongly encouraged:

ONLINE ORDERING: If you are already registered with the practice to use the online service: Patient Access.
THE NHS App: This app for smartphones can be used to order your medication.

(If you haven’t registered for the online service you can register for the NHS App from home using photo identification and a photo of your face. You can then use the app to order your medication).

When you are requesting your items

Inappropriate ordering places a huge strain on practice resources and staff time, as well as having an adverse impact on community pharmacy and could lead to medicines shortage. Therefore:

Please DO NOT:

Request repeat medications ahead of normal time. Your request will not be dealt with any earlier, you should order your prescription no more than 7 working days before you run out of medication.
Request extra medication. National guidance from NHS England states that quantities of medication prescribed should be for no longer than is currently prescribed.
Request New/Infrequently used medication. If you have had medicines in the past but have recovered sufficiently to have not needed them in the last six months then we will not issue without a full clinical review and then only if deemed necessary.

Please DO:

Order only what you actually need.
Ensure that you have a Pharmacy nominated to dispense your prescriptions. Without a “Nominated Pharmacy” the practice cannot send an electronic prescription to a pharmacy to be dispensed.

If your medicine is on repeat, the prescription will come with a tear-off slip attached. To order more medication, simply tick the box next to the one(s) you need and hand it in at reception, with online patient services, speak to your pharmacy, post or place in the repeat prescription request box.

It will take 48 hours to process unless exceptional circumstances exist. You can now order prescriptions online via the link at the top of this page. New users to the system are required to complete a simple registration, at the surgery.

Some points to remember to make things easier:

Please allow 48 hours for your request to be processed.
Try to order all your medications together.
You can collect your prescription from the reception desk or it can be sent to a nominated chemist of your choice, e.g. Boots or Co-op. This way you only have to pick up the medicine(s). Please let our staff know which chemist you prefer.
You may be asked to see the doctor from time to time before collecting repeat prescriptions. This is so we can see how you are getting on and make sure the medicine is doing what it is supposed to do.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought is a reasonable charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need numerous medications.

NHS charges

Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the Am I entitled to free prescriptions page of the NHS website.

Repeat Request

Please allow 48 hours, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, for your request to be processed. Any problems please contact the surgery.

Changes to the way some prescriptions are to be processed

Some drugs are in certain groups which may be under specific legal control regulations (Controlled Drugs) and some drugs which are borderline to these regulations. These include tramadol, paracetamol with codeine preparations (e.g. cocodamol 30/500), codydramol, dihydrocodeine, codeine, diazepam, temazepam and zopiclone.

All these drugs will now not be available as a Repeat prescription but will be moved to an Acute prescription. This means that the staff have to consult with a doctor each time it is requested before the prescription can be issued. Prescriptions can still be ordered in the normal way but may need longer to be signed off by a doctor and it will not be able to be sent via the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).