If you are on regular medication your doctor may issue you with a computer generated repeat prescription slip, which enables you to obtain prescriptions without seeing your doctor for a set period of time (often around six months). When you require more medication tick ONLY THE ITEMS NEEDED BY YOU AT THAT TIME on the slip and return it to the Health Centre. It is very important that you only request items you need at that time. The practice will not remove any unticked items from your prescription just because they have not been ticked as needed on the prescription every month, so please don’t feel that you have to tick every item, even if not needed at the time. By only ticking those items you need each month you are helping the save the NHS vital funds. Stockpiling medication is not helpful as medication may expire before you are able to take it.
Please allow two full working days for your prescription to be processed (eg. If you drop it in to the practice on Monday it will be ready for collection after 5.00pm on Wednesday). If you have requested your prescription to be collected by a pharmacy, please allow an additional two working days for the pharmacy to process your prescription.
Repeat prescription requests which are brought or delivered to us at very short notice will not be processed the same day. We will ask you to return the following working day after 5.00pm to collect the prescription.
IN ORDER TO AVOID ERRORS AND FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY REASONS, WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT TELEPHONE OR VERBAL REQUESTS FOR PRESCRIPTIONS.
If you are housebound or unable to come to the practice you may post your request to us, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for its return. If you use the post please remember to allow additional time.
You may also register to order your prescriptions online using Patient Online Services (POS – see separate section). To register complete the form available from our website or from reception and bring it to the surgery together with photographic ID and proof of your address.
The Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS)
This is a great service which can really help save time for you and the practice, and which gives you much more control about how your prescriptions are managed.
This service is right for you if you have a stable condition and you:-
• Don’t want to go to your GP practice every time to collect your repeat prescription.
• Collect your medicines from the same pharmacist most of the time.
• Use a prescription collection service already.
This service is not right for you if you:
• Don’t get prescriptions very often.
• Pick up your medicines from different places.
• Travel or work away from home a lot.
You need to choose a pharmacy to which your GP practice can send your prescription electronically. This is called nomination. Ask any pharmacy or your GP practice to add your nomination for you. You don’t need a computer to do this.
For more information about EPS visit www.cfh.nhs.uk/eps