Ordering repeat prescriptions
Everyday Courtyard Surgery receives many requests for same day prescriptions to be issued, and we are seeing an increase in the number of requests for routine repeat prescriptions to be issued urgently. Please be aware of our process for issuing repeat prescriptions.
For routine prescriptions we require 3-5 full working days for repeat prescriptions to be reviewed by a GP and authorised.
If you are on a repeat dispensing prescription for 3 or 6 months of medication make sure you request your new repeat dispensing prescription with sufficient notice. Your prescription expiry date will be on the prescription the pharmacy gives you. Often our GPs will want a face to face review with patients before they prescribe a repeat dispense again.
Requests for prescriptions outside this normal process impact significantly on our doctors and administration team, meaning there is less availability for our doctors to see patients and there is also a higher risk of a prescribing error occurring.
Requesting repeat medication
- using your NHS account (through the NHS website or in the Airmid App)
- using the GP online system: SystmOnline
These accounts show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.
You can also:
- fill out a repeat prescriptions request form
- bring your paper slip to the surgery
- or send us an email
We do not take repeat prescription requests over the phone.
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.
Emergency prescriptions
Urgent prescriptions are requests for emergency medication which are needed within 24 hours to prevent a patient from becoming seriously ill. Medications on the below list will be reviewed and sent to your nominated pharmacy by the end of the day.
- Reliever Inhalers and Nebuliser Solutions
- All Anti-coagulants
- Anti-epileptic medication only for epilepsy
- Anti-Psychotic Medications for schizophrenia/bipolar/psychosis
- Parkinson’s Medication
- Long Term Steroids
- Nitrates
- Anti-angina medication
- Anti-arrhythmic Drugs for cardiac arrhythmias only
- Palliative/End of Life care medications
- Diabetic Medications for Type 1 diabetics only
- Anaphylaxis injections
Here is the list of medications we will issue on a same day basis. If your medication is NOT on this list it will be treated as a routine request and issued within 3-5 working days.
Getting help from your Pharmacy
If you 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 previously repeated medicine, without having to get a prescription from your GP. Speak to your pharmacy.
Collecting your prescription
You can usually collect your prescription 5 working days after you have ordered it.
You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.
You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:
- on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
- at the surgery or fill out a nominate a pharmacy or other dispenser form
- at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions
Hospital Prescriptions
When you are seen at the hospital and are given a hospital prescription, you should not leave the hospital without attending the hospital pharmacy to collect the medication.
A hospital prescription is not valid in community pharmacies. Do not bring it to the surgery and ask us to convert to a practice prescription – some hospital medications are not licensed to be prescribed in general practice.
Private Prescriptions
You will need to take to any private prescription to a local pharmacy and pay for the prescribed items directly to them.
Holiday medication
When preparing for your holiday, please remember to process a request for your routine medication allowing the normal 3-5 working days for processing.
We can only provide a maximum of 2 months medication, and we may request a patient to provide documents to support this request.
We are unable to provide emergency prescriptions for holiday 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.
Go to Medicines A to Z (nhs.uk)
If you would like to speak to someone at the GP surgery about your prescription:
- phone our pharmacist after 10am on 01380 813 300
- fill out an ask a prescription question form
Prescription charges
Find out more about prescription charges (nhs.uk).
What to do with old medicines
Take any old medicines you have to the pharmacy you got them from. They will dispose of it correctly. Do not bring it into the surgery and do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet as this puts medicines into the water system.