Prescription Requests
The surgery requires 3 working days from receipt of your prescription request to process your prescription. Once processed, your prescription will be sent electronically to your nominated pharmacy. When requesting prescriptions please allow 7 working days, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, to collect your prescription from your allocated pharmacy. Please plan for this time when requesting your medication to avoid running out of medication. For most medication, we allow patients to order their prescriptions up to 10 days before the medication is due.
How to order your repeat prescription
If you take medicine regularly, you'll usually have a repeat prescription.
This means you can order your medicine when you need it, without having to see a GP every time.
There are 3 ways to order a repeat prescription the surgery:
Some pharmacies may also offer a service to manage your repeat medication requests.
If you need to have a relative or carer order medication on your behalf, please let us know by completing a proxy access request
Please be aware, we do not take prescriptions requests over the phone. This is to ensure patient safety and to avoid mistakes. It will also reduce demand on our phone lines and increase telephone access when patients are trying to make appointments, request advice or emergency help.
Using your NHS App or Account
You can order a repeat prescription using the NHS app (smart phone or tablet) or by logging into your account on the NHS website.
Our preferred method for patients to order their repeat prescription is via the NHS App or website. When you order a repeat prescription online, it is sent directly to the surgery for signing and then issued directly to your nominated pharmacy. Orders can be made at any time at your convenience and removes the need to travel unnecessarily to make a request.
Once you have placed an order, you can view your repeat prescriptions status and history, including when an item was last ordered. Allowing you to have more confidence your prescription is being managed and can query issues earlier.
You can change where you collect your prescriptions – this is called your nominated pharmacy. It's where the patient’s prescriptions will be sent, after they have been issued by the GP.
There are also a range of other services via the NHS App to help you get well, stay well and manage your healthcare.
Find out more at www.nhs.uk/nhs-app
Using other online services or apps
Our clinical system provider offers their own service called SystmOnline.
We encourage our patients to use the NHS App instead as this provides more consistency to the patient experience across NHS services.
If you are an existing SystmOnline user you can still use this service via their website: https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/
If you wish to sign up to SystmOnline, please contact the surgery for application forms for this service.
In writing to the Surgery
If you do not have online access, you can return your repeat prescription slip to your pharmacy or the surgery. If you do not have a repeat slip, please provide your request in writing (please remember to include your name and date of birth on your request.
There is a letterbox to the side of the surgery entrance for prescription requests to be delivered at any time. We also have a drop-off point on the reception desk at the surgery during our opening hours, there are also requests slips available if required.
How to request medication that is not on a repeat prescription (Acute)
An acute prescription is a 'one-off' prescription which the GP has decided not to add to your repeat list of regular medication. This may be a prescription for a short course of treatment or for a new medication until you are stabilised on it.
Some medication is not suitable for prescribing on repeat prescription. Some medications are recorded as acute as they require to be closely monitored by the Doctor. Examples include many anti-depressants, drugs of potential abuse or where the prescribing is subject to legal or clinical restrictions or special criteria. If this is the case with your medicine, you may not always be issued with a prescription until you have consulted with your Doctor again.
There may also be times where a medication was on your repeat medication list but has not been ordered in some time. When this happens it may be removed from your repeat list and will need to be ordered as an acute medication when next required.
You can order an acute prescription via your NHS App or account, or SystmOnline if you have existing repeat medication.
However, if you do not have any repeat medication, you may not have the option to make an acute request via these methods. If this is the case, you can complete an online consultation (admin query) via our online service, using the ‘Repeat prescription option’.
If you do not have online access, then you can request your medication in writing to the surgery.
Please be aware, we do not take prescriptions requests over the phone.
When requesting an acute medication, please provide the reason you require the medication (such as diagnosis or symptoms), this allows us to process your request more efficiently and ensure the medication being requested is still the most appropriate medication for you.
Medication reviews
Patients on repeat medication will need a review once a year. Most of the time we can do this without seeing you face to face. When you are due for your review (usually around your birthday month), we may contact you to request further information in order to complete your review, or invite you for any appointments that might be required.
Outside of your annual medication review, if there are any medications you no longer use, something is incorrect or your medicines run out at different times and you would like them to be synchronised, please contact us so we can update your repeat medication list or arrange an appropriate review.
Urgent medication
We can only process urgent prescription requests for life-saving medications only. Please be aware urgent requests can still take up to 24 hours to process.
If you have forgotten to order your prescription on time you will not be left without treatment:
If you are unwell you can make an appointment to see a doctor at the surgery or to ask for a telephone consultation, or when the surgery is closed, contact the out of hours service.
If you need medication at weekends or when the surgery is closed your pharmacist can dispense your medication for a few days.
If you have recently been to a hospital appointment and your medication has been changed, the hospital doctors should issue you with a prescription for an initial course of the new drug.
Over the counter medication
NHS England have made it clear that we do not prescribe over the counter medications. We do not prescribe Hay fever medication that are included as over the counter medications.
Online Proxy Access
Under 16 years old
If you are a parent or guardian of an under 16 year old and would like access to booking appointments and ordering medication ONLY, this can be done through your own online account (You will need to be set up for online services yourself)
Please complete online services form on behalf of patient and provide a copy of the patient’s BIRTH CERTIFICATE (giving evidence of relationship e.g parent. If birth certificate does not show this, then we can accept other relevant paperwork which indicates you are parent/’guardian
Over 16 years old
If you would like proxy access for someone who is over 16 years old. Please complete a proxy over 16 years form.
Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)
Electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) is a process that allows the prescriber to authorise and issue a batch of repeat prescriptions for up to 12 months with just one digital signature. Different systems and providers may refer to this using different wording, for example ‘electronic repeat dispensing’ and ‘batch prescribing’.
Prescriptions issued using eRD are stored securely on the NHS Spine (the digital central point for NHS services) and are automatically downloaded to the patient’s nominated community pharmacy at intervals set by the prescriber. This reduces the need for patients to make repeat prescription requests, reducing calls, and visits, to the surgery.
We offer this service where it is clinically appropriate and where we identify suitable patients for this service, we will contact them to offer this. If you feel you would benefit from this service, please contact the surgery.
Prescription Fees
NHS Prescription charges are: £9.90 per prescription per item
Three month prepayment certificate £32.05 and will save you money if you need more than three prescription items in a three month period
Annual prepayment certificate £114.50 and will save you money if you need more than eleven prescription items over a twelve month period
HRT prepayment certificate £19.80
Further information about prescription charges and exemptions from charges.
Only order the prescriptions that you need
- Please let your GP or pharmacist know if you've stopped taking any of your medicines
- Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering
- Discuss your medication with your GP or pharmacist on a regular basis
- Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription form and only tick those you really need
- If you do not need the medicine please do not order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it
- If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you
- Following a hospital admission it is not uncommon for your medications to be changed, they may be stopped, new ones added, or doses changed. Ensure that you have a record of the changes and tell your pharmacist. When you have a new prescription following any changes, take extra care to ensure these changes have been reflected in the medicines you are given
Questions about your medication
Your local pharmacy can give advice on your medicines. This includes how to use your medicine, worries about side effects or any other questions you have.
What to do with old medicines
Return any old or unused medicines, including inhalers, to your local pharmacy. Do not put them in your household bin or flush them down the toilet.
