Your Repeat Medication
If you need regular medication and your doctor does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with ‘repeat prescription’. Please note if you require a supply of the contraceptive pill you are required to attend for a blood pressure and health observation check at least once per year. If you have not had a recent check up please arrange an appointment with one of our Healthcare Support Workers and order your prescription after you’ve had the check.
Request your Repeat Medication
Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made by post, in person or via one of the local pharmacies. Please allow 48 working hours before collecting your prescription. If you receive a repeat prescription you will be expected, if able, to attend the surgery annually for review. If you have come out of hospital or have attended a clinic and require a new prescription, this will be processed within 48 hours.
Online Repeat Prescription Request
Registered patients of our practice can make requests with our online Repeat Prescription Request Form.
Forgot to request a repeat Prescription?
If you forget to request a repeat prescription
If you forget to obtain a prescription for repeat medication and thus run out of important medicines, you may be able to get help from your Pharmacy. Under the Urgent Provision of Repeat Medication Service, Pharmacists may be able to supply you with a further cycle of a previously repeated medicine, without having to get a prescription from your GP.
If you have run out of important medication, telephone your usual Pharmacy to check that they offer this service; if they don’t, they may either direct you to another Pharmacy who does provide it, or ask you to phone 111 where you can request details of a local Pharmacy that provides the service.
You must then take with you to the relevant Pharmacy, proof of both your identification and of your medication (for example, your repeat prescription list or the empty box which should have your details printed on it). Please note that controlled drugs and antibiotics are not provided through this service, you will need to ring 111 for these.
If you receive stoma products from your Pharmacy or other supplier and/or receive items such as continence products, please ensure you have sufficient supplies as you may encounter difficulties in obtaining these over Bank Holidays, or when the Surgery is closed.
How to order your medication
By post
You can post your prescription slip or written request to us at the Practice. You must include a stamped addressed envelope for return by post if you will not be able to pick up your prescription from the Surgery (please allow extra time for any possible delays with the postal service).
In person
You can order in person by returning the right-hand half of a previous prescription for the required medications, or by submitting a handwritten request.
Pharmacy ordering/collection service
Pharmacies offer a prescription collection service from our Practice. They can also order your medication on your behalf. This saves you time and unnecessary visits to the Practice. Please contact the Pharmacy of your choice for more information if you wish to use this service.
Telephone
We do not accept requests for repeat prescriptions by telephone. This prevents dangerous errors being made and leaves the telephone lines free for urgent matters.
Additional information
Hospital and Community Requests
When you are discharged from Hospital you should normally receive seven days supply of medication.
On receipt of your discharge medication, which will be issued to you by the Hospital, please contact the Surgery to provide them with this information before your supply of medication has run out.
Hospital requests for change of medication will be checked by a prescribing clinician first, and if necessary a prescribing clinician will provide you with a prescription on request.
Medication reviews
From time to time the Doctors at the Practice review the medication you are taking. This may involve changes to your tablets and is in accordance with current Health Authority policies. Please be reassured that this will not affect your treatment. We may sometimes call you in for a medication review and this may involve blood tests. It is very important that you attend these appointments, as it keeps you safe whilst taking medication.
Non-repeat items (acute requests)
Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute’ prescriptions are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription records. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period, and may require a review visit with your Doctor prior to the medication being added onto your repeat prescription records.
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 repeat prescription until you have consulted with your Doctor again.
Strong painkillers and driving
You may have noticed that the label on your painkiller medicine says: “May cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.”
Your doctor or nurse may also have discussed side effects of your painkillers with you.gen
Strong painkillers (or opioids) affect each person in a different way. They can make some people drowsy and reactions can be slower than usual. This may be worse if you take other medicines that cause drowsiness or if you drink alcohol. If you are someone who drives you may be wondering if it is safe for you to drive. The following information will help you to decide.
- You must not drive if you feel sleepy
- You must not drive after drinking alcohol or taking strong drugs which have not been prescribed or recommended by your doctor for example, cannabis.
- You must not drive if you start taking other drugs that cause sleepiness, either prescribed by your doctor or bought from the chemist for example, hay fever medicine.
- You must not drive on days where you have had to take extra (breakthrough or rescue) doses of a strong painkiller.