Repeat Medication
If you need regular medication and your clinician does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with ‘repeat prescription’. When you collect a prescription you will see that it is perforated down the centre. The left-hand side is the actual prescription. The right-hand side (re-order slip) shows a list of medicines that you can request without booking an appointment to see a doctor. Please tear off this section (and keep it) before handing the prescription to the chemist for dispensing.
How to order your medication
The preferred route to order your repeat medication is electronically via the NHS app. 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.
You can order your repeat prescriptions online using the NHS App.
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).
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.
You can request your nominated pharmacy to order your repeat prescriptions on your behalf. The pharmacy will then send us a message and we will process all prescriptions electronically.
In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), GPs and pharmacies are moving suitable patients to electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD). You might be suitable for eRD if you get regular or repeat medicines that don’t change. eRD means your GP can send your regular or repeat prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. You can then collect your medication from your pharmacy, or ask them to deliver it to your home.
What eRD means for you
eRD allows your GP to send a series of repeat prescriptions to your pharmacy in one go, so there’s no need for you to order them each time. It’s reliable, secure and confidential. Your regular prescriptions are stored securely on the NHS database, so they’ll be ready at the pharmacy each time you need them.
How eRD can benefit you
If you get regular or repeat medicines, you might be suitable for eRD. Using eRD, you can:
How do I sign up for eRD?
It’s really easy to sign up for eRD – just ask your GP or pharmacist to set it up for you.
Help with your prescription
Most prescriptions are now signed, sent and processed electronically. This means that you will no longer have to collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice. Instead, you can go straight to your nominated pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to pick up your medicines or medical appliances.
For more information on this service click here.
This will allow you not only to order your repeat medication online but also:
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.
It is sometimes worthwhile to buy a season ticket for pre-payment of prescription charges. NHS leaflet FP95 gives full details and an application form, or ring 0845 850 0030 for further information.
If you need help with NHS costs or need to find out if you can get free prescriptions please click the button below for further information.
Additional information
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.
To find your local pharmacy please click here.
The clinicians at the Practice regularly 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 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.
A GP, nurse or pharmacist will generally not give you a prescription for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for a range of minor health conditions.
Worrying that you’re pregnant after unprotected sex is a worrying experience, and it can feel like a real race against the clock.
What should you do?
Contact the surgery as soon as possible. If you act quickly, emergency contraception will usually prevent pregnancy.
What will we do?
A clinician from Millway Medical Practice may arrange to see you, or be able to give you advice over the telephone. If for any reason, you cannot get the help or advice you need from us, you can get further advice or free contraception from:
- Any other GP who provides contraceptive services
- The Family Planning Service
- The Family Planning Association Contraceptive helpline telephone 0845 310 1334 or visit their website www.fpa.org.uk
- Any local pharmacist
What is emergency contraception?
Emergency contraception is a way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Emergency contraception should not be used regularly or to replace your usual method of contraception. It is for emergency back-up situations only. But being realistic, no matter how diligent you usually are about protecting against pregnancy, things can go wrong, for example:
- you might have forgotten to take your contraceptive pill
- if you’ve vomited or had diarrhoea, the contraceptive pill may not have been absorbed properly
- the condom could have split or slipped off
- your partner didn’t withdraw before he ejaculated (withdrawal method)
- you got carried away and forgot
- you were forced to have sex
Whatever the reason, you can still get emergency contraception – but being prepared is always better.
Leaflets are available in the surgery on the different types of Emergency and Regular Contraception, or book an appointment with the Practice Nurse or a GP
Remember – If you are over 16, you can buy emergency contraception
(the “morning after” pill) from a local pharmacist.
We are not obliged to switch private prescriptions for NHS prescriptions. We have local and nationally agreed guidelines on prescribing, and we may agree to do this if the medication is within our local formulary, but this is at the doctor’s discretion. The doctor who signs a prescription is taking clinical responsibility for the effects of the drug and its consequences.