Prescriptions

Ordering Repeat Prescriptions

If you require prescriptions for regular and continuing treatment, it is not always necessary to see the doctor each time.

Repeat prescriptions are computerized and the tear-off slip at the side will indicate the date your review is due.

Please allow at least 2 working days for all requests

Order Online

The simplest and fastest way to order at a time that suits you

Your details and information are protected by the highest standards of online security, so all you need to worry about is what to do with the spare time you’ve earnt:

The NHS App alternatively use PATCHS

Other ways to order

You can also request your repeat prescription by:

• Submitting your computerized printed slip
  (This can be found attached to your prescription). Tick the items that you require. Put the slip in the box situated at the reception desk or post to us.
• Submitting a written request
  List the items that you require. Please write clearly in block capitals and include your name and address, the name of the drug e.g. paracetamol, the strength of the tablet e.g. 500mg and the dosing instructions e.g. 2 tablets to be taken four times daily. (Attaching the label from the medication pack to a sheet of paper with your name and address on is acceptable).

In all cases, your prescription should be ready for collection 2 working days after we receive the request.

If you would like your prescription posting back to you, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Please note that we are not responsible for covering postage costs. We will not accept telephone requests for repeat prescriptions owing to the likelihood of errors occurring using this method.

Please note, our staff are not permitted to take repeat prescription requests over the telephone.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

Extensive exemption and remission arrangements protect those likely to have difficulty in paying charges (NHS prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs).

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines.

• Please visit the NHS website for the latest Prescription Charges
• Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.
• When going abroad you can take your NHS medications with you.
• These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

Further Information

• Find out more about help with your health costs
• Buy an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate

Electronic Prescription Service

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) sends electronic prescriptions from GP surgeries to pharmacies. Eventually EPS will remove the need for most paper prescriptions.

About EPS

EPS allows prescribers 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.

Electronic Prescriptions

Most prescriptions are now signed, sent and processed electronically.

You have 2 choices for how this works.

• You can choose a pharmacy or dispenser to dispense all your prescriptions. When you get a prescription, it will be sent electronically to the dispenser you have chosen. You can collect your medicines or appliances without having to hand in a paper prescription.
• You can decide each time you are issued a prescription where you would like it to be dispensed. When you are issued a prescription, you will be given a paper copy that you can take to any pharmacy or other dispenser in England. The paper copy will contain a unique barcode that will be scanned to download your prescription from the secure NHS database.

Paper prescriptions will continue to be available in special circumstances, but almost all prescriptions will be processed electronically.

Choosing a pharmacy or other dispenser

If you get regular prescriptions or are already using a prescription collection service (where a pharmacy collects prescriptions from your GP practice for you) then choosing a pharmacy to dispense all your prescriptions may save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP.

You will still order your repeat prescriptions in the same way as you do now, but your prescriptions will be sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice.

You will not have to collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice.

Cancelling or changing your choice of pharmacist or dispenser

You can change or cancel your choice of dispenser at any time. Simply speak to your GP or pharmacist before you order your next prescription.

You should allow time for the update to take place to avoid your next prescription being sent to the wrong place.

What can I do if I’m unhappy with the process?

You should be provided with information about electronic prescriptions and give your consent before your choice of dispenser is recorded.

If you’re unhappy with your experience, you can complain to the dispenser, your GP practice or your local clinical commissioning group (CCG).

How to complain to the NHS – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Who can see my prescription?

Electronic prescriptions are reliable, secure and confidential.

Your electronic prescription will be seen by the people who provide your medicines in GP practices and pharmacies, and by NHS prescription payment and fraud agencies.

• Find out more about
  How confidential patient information is used – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)

What is an eRD?

If you or someone you care for uses the same medicines regularly, you may be able to benefit from electronic repeat dispensing. This means you won’t have to re-order or collect your repeat prescriptions from your GP practice every time you need more medicine.

You simply collect your regular medication from your usual pharmacy each month without actually having to order it.

To enable electronic dispensing you need to have a nominated pharmacy and we will set this with you. Your regular medication will then be available at that pharmacy.

When your pharmacy supplies your last electronic repeat prescription, they will inform you. You will then have to contact your GP practice to ask for another set of electronic repeat prescriptions. You may need to be seen for a review before another batch of electronic repeat dispensing prescription is authorised.

Benefits of eRD

• Electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) is an integral part of EPS, which offers many extra benefits over paper repeat dispensing and repeat prescribing.
• two-thirds of prescriptions issued in primary care are repeat prescriptions. These repeat prescriptions account for nearly 80% of NHS medicine costs for primary care
• 410 million repeat prescriptions are generated every year – equivalent to an average of more than 375 per GP per week
• it’s estimated that up to 330 million, or 80%, of all repeat prescriptions could eventually be replaced with eRD
• this could save 2.7 million hours of GP and practice time

How does eRD Work?

• eRD allows the prescriber to authorise and issue a batch of repeatable prescriptions for up to 12 months with just one digital signature.
• eRD stores all issues of the eRD prescriptions securely on the NHS Spine and automatically downloads them to the patient’s nominated community pharmacy at intervals set by the prescriber.
• patients are required to give their consent for repeat dispensing. This can be verbal and formal written consent is not required.
• eRD allows the cancellation at item or whole prescription level, which will cancel all subsequent issues on the Spine.
• PRN or ‘when required’ medication can be prescribed using eRD (it’s advised that PRN items are set up as a separate eRD batch as they may have a different interval to the patient’s other eRD batches). The prescriber can set the specified intervals based on the patient’s usage history to predict the number of uses/doses. If the patient runs out, the subsequent issue can be downloaded in advance – based on clinical assessment by the dispenser. This may mean an extra prescription is needed to ensure the patient has enough medication to last until their next review. Some prescribing systems have a variable prescription type, which helps with this.

Benefits For Patients

Benefits for patients include:

• no need to contact the surgery to reorder at regular intervals unless their condition changes
• retain regular contact with their dispenser, who is responsible for checking that their circumstances haven’t changed since the previous issue of the prescription was collected
• change nominated dispenser at any time during the duration of the eRD prescription
• if clinically appropriate can request the next issue early or obtain more than one prescription, for example when going on holiday.

How can eRD be set up?

Step 1

Talk to your GP or the person who prescribes your medicines and ask them if you can use electronic repeat prescriptions. Your prescriber will usually be your doctor or practice nurse. You can also discuss this with you clinical pharmacist at the practice.

If your prescriber thinks that you could use electronic repeat prescriptions for your regular medicines, they will ask you for permission to share information about your medication with your pharmacist. This will help your pharmacist to give your prescriber feedback about your treatment and provide you with useful advice.

Your GP or prescriber will then authorise a number of electronic repeat prescriptions. This will be based on your circumstances and clinical need. These electronic repeat prescriptions will then be supplied to you by your pharmacy at regular intervals.

Step 2

Collect your first electronic repeat prescription from your pharmacy.

Step 3

When you need more medicines, go back to your pharmacy. Before dispensing the next issue of your prescription, your pharmacy will ask:

• have you seen any health professionals (GP, nurse or hospital doctor), since your last repeat prescription was supplied?
• have you recently started taking any new medicines – either on prescription or that you have bought over the counter?
• have you been having any problems with your medication or experiencing any side effects?
• are there any items on your repeat prescription that you don’t need this month?

If you don’t need all of the medicines on your prescription, let the pharmacy staff know, so that they only supply the medicines you need. This will help to reduce waste and save the NHS money.

Step 4

When your pharmacy supplies your final electronic repeat prescription in the series that your GP has authorised, they will advise you to contact your GP practice. Your doctor or practice nurse may want to see you to review your medication before they will authorise more electronic repeat prescriptions.

NHS – Medicines A – Z

How your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answer to common questions.

Medicines A-Z – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Content supplied by the NHS website nhs.net