Order a prescription

Requests can be made on-line, via a pharmacy or in person at reception. House bound patients only can request prescriptions over the telephone. Electronic prescriptions are available please speak to a member of our reception team to nominate a pharmacy of your choice.

For repeat prescription requests please allow at least 3 working days (speak to a member of the surgery team for more information).

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate fee for your medicines, set by the government. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer savings for people who need extensive medication.

NHS Prescription costs as of April 2014

• The current prescription charge is £8.80
• From 1 April 2010 a three monthly PPC is £29.10. This saves you money if you need four or more items in three months.
• A 12 month certificate is £104.00 and saves money if 15 or more items are needed in 12 months.
• PPCs are available by 10 monthly direct debit instalment payments. The prescription prepayment certificates allow anyone to obtain all the prescriptions they need for £2 per week.

There is further information on the NHS website about prescription exemptions, fees and PPCs.

The easiest, safest, and quickest way to order your repeat prescription is online. There is no need to make a phone call or visit us; instead computer, smartphone or tablet users can request repeat prescriptions from anywhere in the UK – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also check what medication you should be taking and when.

If you are not already registered for GP online services please let a member of the practice team know you would like to use this service.

How to order your repeat prescription

Patients on long term medication can order repeat prescriptions by any of the following methods:

Online

In person – hand the right sided counterfoil in to reception with the required items clearly ticked.

By post – send it to us with a stamped addressed envelope if you want us to post it back to you.

Requests will not be taken over the telephone unless you are housebound.

Please allow two full working days for prescriptions to be processed and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account.

Medication can no longer be requested via your pharmacy on your behalf – see Prescribing Wisely.

Our doctors can send prescriptions electronically directly to your pharmacy of choice. Please discuss this with your local pharmacy.

You may also collect your prescription from the practice or we can send it to your home if you supply a stamped addressed envelope with your request.

We tend to prescribe medication monthly or in special circumstances every 2 months.

If you take medications on a regular basis and are not exempt from prescription charges, it may be cheaper to purchase a pre-payment certificate.

If you are going abroad, a one-off prescription for 2 months repeats medication can be given. For longer periods away we would recommend a consultation with a doctor, but it is likely that you would be eligible for a private prescription only.

Patients on repeat medication will be asked to see a doctor at least once a year to review these regular medications and notification should appear on your repeat slip. Please ensure that you book a telephone or Skype appointment when you are advised it is due. This will help avoid unnecessary delays to receiving your medication.

Nominate a Pharmacy

If you get regular prescriptions, the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) may be able to save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP. EPS makes it possible for your prescriptions to be sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice.

Choosing a pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to process your EPS prescription is called nomination. This means you’ll no longer have to collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice – instead, you can go straight to the nominated pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to pick up your medicines or medical appliances.

Because your pharmacist has already received your electronic prescription, they may be able to prepare your items in advance, so you just have to pick it up with no extra wait. However, this depends on the capacity of pharmacists on the day, and may not be possible all the time.

If you have not already selected a pharmacy of your choice, please notify a member of the team who can complete this for you on your next visit.

For more detailed information, download the EPS patient information leaflet

Prescribing of medicines by your GP following assessment or treatment by a Private Doctor

If you are entitled to NHS care you do not lose your entitlement to further NHS treatment if you choose to buy additional private care. This leaflet explains the responsibilities of your GP when they are asked to prescribe a medicine after your appointment with a private doctor.

Whenever a GP prescribes a medicine for you they are taking full responsibility for your care, even if the medicine is recommended for you by another doctor. It, therefore, cannot always be expected that your GP will prescribe the medicine(s) recommended for you by the private doctor.

Please be aware that your GP may not agree to prescribe the medicine in the following circumstances:

• The GP has not had adequate communication from the private doctor to explain the reasons why you need the medicine.
• The GP does not believe the medicine is appropriate or necessary for you.
• The medicine is not licensed or is being used outside of its licensed use in the UK.
• The GP does not feel they have the specialist expertise to monitor the medicine and to ensure it is safe and working for you.
• The use of the medicine is not in line with national or local prescribing guidelines.
• Your GP believes that a different medicine which is very similar and commonly prescribed on the NHS will be just as effective or appropriate for you to take instead.
• You are seen by a private doctor/specialist without referral from your NHS GP.

Your GP will be able to prescribe the medicine for you, if the private doctor informs the GP why you need the medicine, and provided that none of the above applies.

Please note that the same rules apply if another NHS doctor – for example hospital doctor – asks your GP to prescribe a medicine for you, not just a private doctor.

If the GP cannot prescribe the medicine, they will give you a clear explanation of the reason for this and will also contact your private doctor. Your GP may give you the option of having a different but equally effective medicine prescribed on the NHS or you may wish to pay privately for the original medicine via your private doctor. If you have any questions please speak to your GP.

About Our Online Services

By signing up for online services, you will be able to complete a variety of different tasks online rather than having to come in to the practice:

• Book an appointment
• View past and future appointments
• Order recent and regular repeat medications
• View your summary care records
• Access test results

These online services are as safe as online banking as long as you keep your passwords secure, and you can access these services 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

How to Sign Up

You will need to have a username and password created for you, before you can use our online services.

In order to sign up for online services, simply come into the practice and fill in our ‘Register for Online Services’ form, and we will issue you with login details.
For online access to book appointments, you will not need to bring identification.

For online access for repeat prescriptions and your medical records, you will need to bring one form of identification.
Forms of identification accepted are:

• Passport and/or Birth Certificate
• HC2 certificate
• Mortgage Agreement
• Utility Bill
• Driving Licence
• Rough sleepers’ identity badge
• Hostel registration/mail forwarding letter