Prescriptions

How do I order my prescription?

Please allow two full working days for routine repeat prescription to be processed that you are currently authorised to receive.

If your request is for a medication that has been started recently or that you have not had issued for some time, it can take up to five working days.

28 Day Prescribing Policy

The NHS recognises that a 28-day repeat prescribing interval makes the best possible balance between patient convenience, good medical practice and minimal drug wastage.

 

For more information about our 28 day prescribing policy, please visit our 28 Day Prescribing Policy Page.

Urgent Prescriptions

It is important to follow the usual procedure for requesting medication and to allow two working days for the prescription to be generated by the Surgery.

If for some reason you run short of your essential medication and need it sooner than the usual two working days, you can request an urgent prescription.

We will only consider urgent medication requests for items included on or similar to, the drugs listed in the table below. In these instances we can issue a prescription to be ready after 17:30 on the same day.

Diabetic Drugs

Alogliptin, Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin, Gliclazide, Insulin, Lixisenatide, Metformin, Nateglinide, Pioglitazone, Sitagliptin

Respiratory Drugs

Salbutamol (Ventolin), Terbutaline (Bricanyl)

Epilepsy Drugs

Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Levetiracetam, Phenytoin, Sodium Valproate, Topiramate

Parkinson’s Drugs

Co-beneldopa (Madopar), Co-careldopa (Sinemet)

Anticoagulants

Apixaban, Dabigatran, Edoxaban, Heparin preparations, Rivaroxaban, Warfarin

Other Cardiovascular Drugs

Amiodarone, Amlodipine, Bisoprolol, Digoxin, Losartan, Ramipril

Antidepressants and Antipsychotics

Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Mirtazapine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine

Opiod Painkillers and Palliative Care Drugs

Buprenorphine, Fentanyl, Morphine and drugs for use via syringe driver

Antipsychotics / Psychotropics

Aripiprazole, Lithium, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Risperidone

Corticosteroids

Dexamethasone, Prednisolone

Immunosuppressants

Azathioprine, Ciclosporin, Leflunomide, Methotrexate, Mycophenolate, Sulfasalazine, Tacrolimus

Medication Reviews

Patients on repeat medication will be asked to consult with a pharmacist, a doctor or practice nurse at least once a year to review these regular medications. The notification date should appear on your repeat slip.

Please ensure that you book an appropriate appointment to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions. If you have been advised by the surgery that your medication review is due, you will need to fill out our Medication Review Form.

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is a NHS service that allows us to send your prescription(s) directly to your chosen pharmacy. This paper-free prescription service means that you do not have to come into the surgery to collect your prescription.

We encourage all patients to register for this free service. You can register for electronic prescribing by completing our EPS registration Form.

Prescription fees

View the cost of prescriptions and whether you are entitled to free prescriptions by visiting the NHS website:

Medicines that Require Monitoring

There are certain medications that require blood test monitoring for example methotrexate, leflunomide etc. Your consultant and GP will have discussed this with you. If you are late or omit a blood test, your GP may not be able to prescribe these medications for safety reasons, so please ensure that you keep up to date with the blood tests required.

Questions about your medication

If you have any questions about your medication, your community pharmacist is ideally placed to answer your questions. But if it is a query they cannot answer, then please use the General Medication Question option on our website.

Can my GP prescribe extra medication to cover my holiday?

If you need medication for a long-term health condition, you may be able to get an extra supply of medication to cover your time away.

However, if you intend to be abroad for 3 months or more, you are not entitled to NHS prescriptions or any other NHS services, so we can only supply a sufficient and reasonable quantity for you to reach your destination and register with a local doctor (usually 2-4 weeks medication). If your period of travel is for under 3 months then we MAY be able to supply medication for the whole of your trip, but this will depend on the nature of your medication (for example those that require monitoring may not be able to be prescribed).

Please let us know via the General Medication Question if you require extra medication in this instance.

Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)

If you get regular or repeat prescriptions, you could save time by switching to electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD). eRD sends your prescriptions electronically from the surgery to a pharmacy of your choice. It’s easy to use and you don’t need a computer or electronic device.

eRD allows your GP to prescribe your regular medicines for up to a year. It’s reliable, secure and confidential. Your regular prescriptions are stored securely on the NHS database, so they’ll be ready at the pharmacy each time you need them.

Using eRD you can:

  • save time by avoiding the need to order a repeat prescription every 28-56 days
  • order or cancel your repeat prescriptions online
  • pick up your repeat prescriptions directly from your pharmacy
  • spend less time waiting for your prescription to be issued by the surgery

For more information about eRD and how it works, ask at your pharmacy, or visit the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/eRD 

Ask your GP at your next medication review if this will be suitable for you, or ask us using the General Medication Question on our website.