Prescriptions

Dispensary Hours:

Please note that we do not take prescription requests over the phone.
All medication requests must be in writing.

You can request your medication in the following ways:

In writing

If you need to take tablets or medicines regularly, your Doctor may suggest you have a repeat prescription. This will be authorised on the computer ready for when you next need it. All prescription requests need to be put in writing (faxed, posted or dropped into the surgery) indicating where you wish to collect it from, this can be from either surgery or we can have your prescription sent to a Pharmacy who regularly collects from us.

Using online services

You can request your medication using online services. You will be able to access the list of repeat medications that are on your patient record when you are running low and request them from the comfort of your own home. You can request your medication at the click of a button, we process it and send it to the pharmacy for you to collect. For more information on how to register for online services click here

When there is a delay with medication

There will be occasions when your medication isn't ready as soon as you would like it to be:

1. If you request a medication too early it can be refused as the computer system will not allow us to process it too soon.
2. It also will not allow you to request medication that you are not routinely on (i.e. antibiotics).  These would be one off requests which may be granted, or refused by the clinicians.
3. Finally, if you have a repeat medication and you have not had a medication review for the last 12 months, then your medication may be refused and you will be asked to make an appointment with your GP for a review. To help you to plan ahead, before you are due a medication review, the GP or Nurse will write a message for you on your prescription, so please check your script when you collect your prescription and book an appointment before your next medication is due.

Planning ahead when requesting medication

We process around 150 prescriptions a day. We receive your request, put it into a GP and at their earliest convenience they process and authorise it. At this point your request waits for a Pharmacy to collect it (usually the next day) and then they follow their process to dispense your items. Due to this we ask that you please allow at least three working days for processing of the prescription from start to finish. 

When medication is required urgently

There should be very few occasions where medication is required 'urgently'. Please do not wait until you have run out before requesting your medication. Knowing that it takes 3 working days to process a request means you will need to allow at least this amount of time before you run out . Ideally, you should request your repeat medication the week before you are going to finish your current amount.

Prescription requests that are highlighted as urgent will be passed to a GP and if the GP feels the urgent nature of the request is appropriate they will issue the medication. If the request is not urgent, the request will be processed within 3 working days as with routine requests.

Dispensing

We are permitted to dispense at the health centre, branch surgeries and on home visits, for some of our patients who live further than 1.6 km from a chemist. All our dispensing staff are qualified and we dispense medicines accurately and with adequate safeguard, including maintaining Patient confidentiality and with the provision of suitable advice to the Patient or where appropriate the Carer.  Medicines are dispensed in a hygienic manner using suitable equipment. Medicines can be collected from our dispensary.

Prescriptions written during a consultation can be collected immediately.

Dispensing patients also have the choice to use any pharmacy.

Non-Dispensing Patients

For patients for whom we are not permitted to dispense, prescriptions may be ordered as above or by post with a self-addressed, stamped envelope enclosed. Prescriptions can be taken to any chemist or, if requested, placed on a patients’ delivery service run by local chemists.

Medicine Sick Day Rules

When you are unwell with any of the following:

• Vomiting or diarrhoea (unless only minor)

• Fevers, sweats, shaking

Then STOP taking any of the medicines listed below:

• ACE inhibitors: Medicine names ending in ‘pril’ – e.g. Lisinopril, perindopril, Ramipril
• ARBS: Medicine names ending in ‘sartan’ – e.g. losartan, candesartan, valsartan
• NSAIDs: Anti-inflammatory pain killers – e.g. ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen
• Diuretics: Sometimes called ‘water pills’ – e.g. furosemide, spironolactone, indapamide, bendroflumethiazide
• Metformin: A medicine for Diabetes

Restart when you are well (after 24 – 48 hours of eating and drinking normally).

If you are in any doubt, please contact us or your pharmacist.