Prescriptions and medication

Online access to your prescriptions

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How to obtain online access to your prescriptions

Online access to your medical record can allow you to book and change appointments, order prescriptions, review any test results and review your notes. This is easy to arrange, and we explain the benefits and how to do it under Online Access To Your Medical Record.


Practice process for medication

You can order repeat prescriptions in a number of ways. It takes up to 3 working days to process your requests so ensure you put your request through in advance of your running out of medication.

  • Online through the NHS App: This is a quick and simple way of ordering your medication. There is information on how you can do this under Online Access To Your Records or if you are already registered you can log in above.
  • By email: You can email your request to the practice. Our email details can be found under Contact Us.
  • In person: You can drop in your prescription into our post box or directly to reception. Please mark clearly what items you want.

Prescription requests and collection – no telephone requests please
We are not able to take prescription requests over the telephone and we require three working days to process your prescriptions. Please can you help us and try to avoid your medicines running out. We have more information on how to avoid urgent prescription requests under urgent requests. We cannot process your request while you wait in reception.

Over the counter medication and other help from your pharmacist
For all patients: Doctors and nurses across the NHS have been asked not to prescribe medicines which are available over the counter directly from a pharmacist without a prescription. Under Pharmacy we explain what are the common over the counter medications your chemist can help you with and other support they offer.

We have some further practice information below:

If you get regular prescriptions, the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) may be able to save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP. EPS makes it possible for your prescriptions to be sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice.

Choosing a pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to process your EPS prescription is called nomination. This means you’ll no longer collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice. Instead, you can go straight to the nominated pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to pick up your medicines or medical appliances.

Because your pharmacist has already received your electronic prescription, they may be able to prepare your items in advance, so you just have to pick it up with no extra wait, but this depends on the capacity of pharmacists on the day and may not be possible all the time.

For more information:

If your medication is out of sync and you are having to order your medication at different times of the month, please complete the attached form and we will amend your medication so that they run in line with each other.

Download and complete the form:

Medication reviews
The practice aims to ensure that patients with ongoing medical problems who are on repeat medication are reviewed annually at least. If the date for your next review with a doctor or nurse has passed you will be asked to make an appointment. Please contact the surgery to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions. The medication review is an opportunity to check if your medication is being effective but also on occasions may allow you to reduce your medication.

Drug monitoring
If you are on a drug which requires regular monitoring with bloods tests (such as DMARDs), please can you take full responsibility and arrange bloods when they are required in accordance with your shared care protocol schedule which has been agreed between you and your hospital doctor. This both ensures the safety of these drugs but also avoids delays in issuing further prescriptions.

Our practice policy for prescribing on the NHS following a private consultation follows national and local guidelines and is as follows:

A private prescription issued during or following a private consultation will NOT subsequently be converted to an NHS funded prescription if treatment is either contrary to what a patient would receive as NHS standard care and /or confirmation with details of any recommended medication and indication for use has not been received in writing by the practice from the specialist.

Immediate treatment and responsibility
In line with NHS guidance any individual who opts to be referred privately (i.e., outside of the NHS arrangements) are expected to pay the full cost of any immediate treatment they receive in relation to the initial private consultation. This includes the cost of any acute or immediate drugs issued via a private prescription.

Long term condition – treatment in line with national and local guidance
When continued medication is required following a private consultation, the patient will be reviewed in the same way as NHS patients. Where a patient is recommended treatment for a long-term condition and the recommendations made for ongoing treatment are in line with national and local guidance, the GP may authorise further ongoing prescriptions at NHS expense on an FP10.

Exceptions
Following a private consultation there is no obligation for the GP to continue to prescribe the recommended treatment on the NHS if for example it is:

  • not in line with national guidance or usual clinical practice
  • beyond a GP’s normal clinical expertise (e.g., a drug considered should only be prescribed by a hospital specialist or consultant)
  • a drug not listed in the drug tariff or permitted to be prescribed at NHS expense in primary care
  • a drug that either does not have a licence for use in the UK or is being recommended outside of its licensed indications for use.

Processing of request if accepted
Please note, should a request for a private prescription be accepted for subsequent issue as a NHS funded prescription, it will take approximately 3 working days for the request to be processed.

National and local guidance on NHS prescriptions and private care
Our practice policy is based on national and local guidance which is considered in more detail in Principles and support private medical care under the two frequently asked questions “Can you have some of your private care covered on the NHS” covering the short term and the long term.

Under travel clinic we include our policy for repeat medication and other medication if you are travelling abroad.

General information
You can find general information on medication under the frequently asked questions in Holiday and Travel Health  which also includes information on over the counter medication which your pharmacist can supply you for your holiday (including a first aid kit).

Sedating medication for flying
GP practices do not prescribe diazepam for fear of flying. The reasons for this are around safety and national guidance which is explained in detail under “Health and safety with flying” in Holiday and Travel Health. Information on alternative treatments is covered.

Medical waste including a sharps bin
You can dispose of any medical waste including a sharps bin normally through your council. Under the section “local support – self-referral” in Prescription and Medicine Management there are links to your local council to facilitate this.

Unused medication
Simple unused medication can be returned to your local pharmacy who will normally be happy to dispose of these for you.

GP practices do not have facilities to dispose of medical waste (including unused medication).


Quality care check list and local information

The medication checklist can help you better understand your medication including information on the local formulary and practice options. Though the checklist is not submitted to the practice you can use it to help support any consultation you have in the practice, including if you are considering starting some new medication.

Other checklists and an explanation of checklists can be found on the page update your clinical record.


Why is it worth tackling antibiotic resistance?

Tackling antibiotic resistance not only supports you but also future generations

A few questions worth considering:

  • What is antibiotic resistance and why is it serious?
  • When do you really need antibiotics?
  • How can you be supported if you do not have antibiotics?

Some answers to these questions can be found under Antibiotic Resistance.


Understand prescriptions and medication

Under Prescription and Medicine Management there is detailed information on medication which covers a wide range of areas. Under Pharmacy we describe the significant support from your local pharmacist. Many patients are now accessing their pharmacist first before attending their GP practice, so we recommend you review the potential support including with over-the-counter medication for many common conditions. Below we cover some common questions GP practices get asked on prescriptions and medication.

Frequently asked questions

Enter your postcode to find a local pharmacist (including services open at weekends and during the evening)
Find a pharmacy Find a pharmacy – NHS

Under the section “cost of your medication frequently asked questions” in Prescription and Medicine Management there is detailed information on how everyone can be supported with the costs of medication including those on low incomes. This includes

  • Who can get free prescriptions
  • Prepayment certificates
  • Help with costs helpline

It also worth considering the FAQ below on “How can I make the management of my medication more efficient?” so no medication is wasted.

Under the section “understanding your medication frequently asked questions” in Prescription and Medicine Management this topic is covered and includes

  • Sources of information which can provide a reference on your medication (including around safety)
  • If relevant, information on drugs which require regular blood monitoring
  • If relevant, a link to common long-term conditions and how you can decide if the medication is allowing you to achieve your agreed targets

There are number of simple steps which many patients find helpful. Some of these are covered in the sections above including

  • Online access to your medication
  • Electronic repeat dispensing (ERD)
  • Electronic prescribing service (EPS)
  • Medication synchronisation
  • Medication reviews

It is also worth considering if you need to order more medication, particularly medication which is not used regularly. It is easy to accidentally build up excess stocks of medication. Many patients have found having a single location where they keep all their medication can prevent this accidental excess storage of medication.

Build a relationship with your local pharmacist and understand how they can support you

  • Pharmacists are a great source of information and provide support not just on your medication but on both long-term conditions (e.g., asthma) and also many common presentations. The full range of support is covered under Pharmacy.
  • Pharmacist can advise you when you should see a doctor or whether they can help.

Nominate a regular chemist for your medication to go to

  • Allows you to collect your medication from one source.

Allow them time between you ordering medication and you collecting medication from the chemist

  • The practice has to process your prescription order and transfer the request to the pharmacist.
  • The pharmacist has to ensure the medication is available and on occasions order it in.
  • Allow 5 working days from ordering your medication, though your pharmacist may be quicker than this.
  • Alternatively consider Electronic Repeat Dispensing of your medication (explained in the section above) which can be more efficient.

Many patients value their relationship with their local pharmacist as much as that with their practice.

Under the section “organisation medication issues frequently asked questions” in Prescription and Medicine Management this topic is covered in detail, a brief explanation is provided below

Outpatients

  • If the medication is required immediately (urgently) the hospital doctor will complete a prescription to enable you to get the medication immediately.
  • If the medication is not urgent, then the hospital doctor will send a letter to both you and your GP detailing the medication (including the rationale for the medication). Note the letter can take up to 3-4 weeks for you and your GP to receive.
  • The hospital doctor in either case will fully explain the medication to you.

Inpatient, day case or A&E attendance
The hospital will prescribe 14 days medication (if required) after an inpatient stay and up to 7 days medication (if required) if you have attended A&E.

Choice of medication
A hospital doctor cannot prescribe any drug, they like GPs are guided by local agreed guidelines. This is covered in the link in detail including access to the local prescribing guideline.

This topic is considered in detail in Principles and support private medical care under the two frequently asked questions “Can you have some of your private care covered on the NHS” covering the short term and the long term.  A brief explanation is provided below.

Short term

Once referred to a private consultant the whole episode of treatment should be provided by the private provider, meaning that NHS and Private care should not be mixed together, so that

For private outpatients it is completely the private providers responsibility to

  • Prescribe short term medication privately for any single episode of care (e.g., antibiotics)

For private inpatients, it is completely the private providers responsibility to

  • Provide medication privately for any short-term medication which is part of the package of care (e.g., for a hip replacement any immediate medication required as a result of the operation such as low molecular weight heparin, pain relief or antibiotics following the operation)

Long term

If a private consultation identifies a long-term condition or a need for long term medication which is available as a routine long- term NHS treatment this should be provided by the patient’s usual GP.

However

  • This medication should be prescribed in line with local guidelines
  • The GP must be in receipt of a letter from the private consultant explaining the rationale for the medication as part of the treatment of a long-term condition and the patient should have been briefed on the medication in full. A verbal request or private prescription will not suffice.

For more detail including information on local medication guidance see the link above.

 

Under the frequently asked questions in Holiday and Travel Health there are detailed answers covering this topic. This includes information on

  • Over the counter medication which your pharmacist can supply you for your holiday (including a first aid kit)
  • Medication which needs to be prescribed privately
  • How long your GP will prescribe your medication if you are going away for a long period.

Problems often occur out of hours and NHS choices explain what you can do

From NHS choices
Where can I get an emergency supply of medicine? Where can I get an emergency supply of medicine? – NHS

NHS choices explains how you can find an open pharmacist but alternatively you can also use the map found under “Contact Us” and then search under “Nearby” using the phrase “Chemist open near me”. Directions to each chemist are provided with a contact number which is worth phoning to check they are available.

GP practices may charge for any private letter you ask for (explained under Non-nHS private services) however, in many cases a letter is unnecessary because

If you do need a letter plan ahead to arrange this as such a request will not be considered urgent.


Some simple steps to avoid medication waste

NHS England give an estimate of around £300 million of medication is wasted every year NHS England » Pharmaceutical waste reduction in the NHS

As Medicine Waste suggest
“Wasted medicine is everyone’s responsibility and there are small changes you can make to help reduce the amount of medicine being wasted.” Medicine Waste UK

Medicine Waste suggest some simple steps that can make a real difference
How can you help Medicine Waste UK

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