Prescriptions

Ordering repeat prescriptions

The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:

These accounts show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.

To use the online prescription and appointment system you will need a password. If you are interested in booking appointments and ordering repeat medication online, please contact reception so that our practice management team can set up your own secure access

You can also:

use the repeat prescribing slip on the right hand side of your last prescription, mark the items required. The slip can be put into the red repeat prescription request box in the reception area, handed in at reception, sent in the post , or put through the letter box of the surgery if the building is closed. If you have lost the repeat prescribing slip, a written list of required items can be sent instead. Most medications require a GP to review them from time to time; many medications require monitoring such as blood tests and blood pressure checks to ensure they are being safely prescribed. Your repeat prescription will have a ‘review date’ listed on the right hand side reminding you when to book for this.

We do not take repeat prescription requests via email.

For patients who are housebound, do not have repeat dispensing, cannot order prescriptions online, and are not able to use their pharmacy to order their regular medication prescriptions ,we can make special arrangements for telephone prescription ordering. Please contact the reception staff if you need to be registered for this.

Telephone ordering prescriptions is discouraged, it ties up the phone lines and errors in ordering prescriptions are much more frequent via the telephone due to communication difficulties over medication names. If you need to order items over the telephone, be sure to list the items required clearly using the name listed on your repeat prescription slip. As we deal with several hundred medication requests on repeat prescription every day, routine telephone ordering of prescriptions unacceptably ties up the telephone lines.

Some medications which are intended for long term use may be authorised as a repeat prescription for you by your doctor. This means that you will be able to get a prescription for these items without having to see the doctor every time you need them.

Patients should be aware that some pharmacies can now order repeat medication on their patient’s behalf, arrange for it to be collected from the practice and delivered it to them if needed. To arrange this please contact your own pharmacist directly.

Some patients who are on regular stable medication can be issued prescriptions by repeat dispensing. This is where several months’ worth of prescriptions are issued in advance and held by your pharmacy. This can only be done where monitoring tests are up to date, the long term dose is stable and the medications themselves are safe to prescribe in this way. It is not possible to prescribe controlled medications via repeat dispensing.

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)

EPS enables GPs to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser (such as a pharmacy) of the patient’s choice. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and staff.  Please see your preferred Pharmacy to discuss and sign up. Controlled drugs can not currently be sent via EPS and so paper issues would need to be collected from the surgery for any medication on the Controlled Drug list (see below for details).

Collecting your prescription

You can usually collect your prescription after 3:00 pm, two working days after placing your order, provided the request reaches the surgery before 6:00 pm.

You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.

You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:

  • on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
  • at your GP practice
  • at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions

Questions about your prescription

If you have questions about your medicine, your local pharmacists can answer these. They can also answer questions on medicines you can buy without a prescription.

The NHS website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.

Medication reviews

If you have a repeat prescription, we may ask you to come in for a regular review. We will be in touch when you need to come in for a review.

Prescription charges

Find out more about prescription charges (nhs.uk).

What to do with old medicines

Take it to the pharmacy you got it from or bring it in to the surgery. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.

About pharmacists

As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:

  • coughs
  • colds
  • sore throats
  • tummy trouble
  • aches and pains

They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

Other Information

It should be noted that only medications which have been authorised by your doctor for repeat prescription can be issued in this way. You cannot order repeat medication before its issue is due, but in some circumstances such as prior to holidays early prescriptions can be issued if you contact our reception team.

You will be asked to see the doctor for a medication review periodically to re-authorise and monitor your repeat prescription as appropriate. The review date for your prescription is printed on the right hand side of your prescription.

Controlled medications have a legal status that demands more stringent rules are applied.

Controlled medications can only be only issued by a doctor. If they are on a repeat prescription the receptionist will put your request request through to a GP – reception staff are not allowed to issue these medications.

Controlled drug prescriptions currently can not be sent electronically to pharmacies and so the paper prescription would need to be collected from the surgery. They also can not currently be added to repeat dispensing batch prescriptions.

Our GPs have a duty to follow strict guidelines on prescribing controlled substances and will view each request carefully. The dosage instructions on controlled medications must be followed properly and early repeat medications will not generally be issued except in special circumstances such as holidays. In these circumstances  you must let our reception team know so that the GP can be informed of the reason for early issue , otherwise it is likely the request will be declined. If an early issue is made , it will be expected that the following prescription ‘due date’ will account for the left over medications from the previous issue.

If prescriptions are repeatedly being requested early this suggests over use of the medication. In these circumstances our GPs will reduce supplies to a weekly issue or may even consider stopping the medication.

If controlled prescriptions are lost we always check see if they have been dispensed by any pharmacy and it is not usual to provide replacements for lost prescriptions or medication.

The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 divide Controlled Drugs (CDs) into five schedules corresponding to their therapeutic usefulness and misuse potential:

Have no recognised medicinal use.
Includes diamorphine (heroin), morphine, remifentanil, pethidine, secobarbital, glutethimide, amfetamine, and cocaine.

Are subject to safe custody requirements and so must be stored in a locked receptacle, usually in an appropriate CD cabinet or approved safe, which can only be opened by the person in lawful possession of the CD or a person authorised by that person.

A licence is required to import or export drugs in Schedule 2.
Includes a small number of minor stimulant drugs and other drugs.

Examples are the barbiturates (except secobarbital, now Schedule 2), buprenorphine, diethylpropion, mazindol, meprobamate, midazolam, pentazocine, phentermine, and temazepam and tramadol.
Part 1: benzodiazepines (except temazepam and midazolam, which are in Schedule 3) and zolpidem, which are subject to minimal control: Includes most of the benzodiazepines, plus eight other substances including fencamfamine and mesocarb. Possession is an offence without an appropriate prescription. Possession by practitioners and pharmacists acting in their professional capacities is authorised.

Part 2: includes androgenic and anabolic steroids, clenbuterol, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), non-human chorionic gonadotrophin, somatotropin, somatrem, and somatropin: Includes most of the anabolic and androgenic steroids such as testosterone, together with clenbuterol (adrenoreceptor stimulant) and growth hormones. There is no restriction on the possession when it is part of a medicinal product.