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Prescriptions
Ordering a repeat prescription
- We suggest sending your request 7 to 10 days before your current supply runs out.
- Please allow us 48 hours (two working days), to process your prescription request. Your community pharmacy may need extra time.
- Early requests will be rejected without a valid reason for ordering more than 7 to 10 days in advance.
- We do not accept repeat prescription requests over the phone.
When you order a prescription online, you can have it sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. This is called a nomination.
How To Order a Prescription? 3 Simple Steps.
Step 1: Ordering
All prescription requests must be made in writing.
We require your Full Name, Date Of Birth, Name and strength of your medication, and any other relevant information, such as additional reasons for your request.
How to Order
- Order online via the NHS App - This is our preferred method. Online access can be set up by our Care Navigators and emailed or printed for the patient to collect.
- Request a prescription online - We have a dedicated online form, which is monitored throughout the day to ensure requests are processed as quickly as possible.
- In Writing - Written requests will be accepted on the repeat prescription request form, right-hand side of your repeat prescription slips or any other appropriate paper format, assuming the request is legible and includes all the information required.
Step 2: Process Time and Medication Review
If you are starting a new medication from another hospital/clinic, we require a letter from that clinician, asking us to continue this on a repeat prescription for you. Your hospital/clinic should provide a prescription for the first month of any treatment they recommend.
Once your prescription request has been received, we will aim to issue a prescription within 2 working days. If we are unable to issue your prescription, you will be contacted within this time. For example, you may need to book an annual medication review or blood test before we can issue your next prescription.
Step 3: Collecting Your Medication
All prescriptions will be sent electronically to your nominated pharmacy. Pharmacies will have their own processing time, but on average require 2 working days to dispense your prescription.
To avoid waiting times at the pharmacy, we suggest you contact your pharmacy in advance to arrange a convenient time to pick-up your medication.
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.
If you would like to speak to someone at the GP surgery about your prescription, please contact us.
Further prescriptions information
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.
Prescriptions charges
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.
Medicines Supply and Shortages
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has overall responsibility for ensuring the continuity of the supply of medicines to the NHS in England. Occasionally, some medicines can be affected by manufacturing or national supply chain problems. Where this is a national shortage, all organisations involved will work quickly to find solutions and provide clear guidance on how practices and community pharmacy should manage shortages in the UK.
More often, local pharmacies may have trouble getting stock from their individual suppliers or contracts and this is usually unique to one store or pharmacy chain. If your pharmacist says they do not have your medicine in stock, we recommend asking them to return the prescription so you can try to get your medicine from a different pharmacy.
The choice of which medicines we prescribe for you is a clinical decision based on the most beneficial, easy to use, and cost-effective option for you so changing your prescription to an alternative drug is not always the best choice of treatment for your condition. It is therefore much better to try a few different pharmacies before asking us to change your prescription.