Repeat prescriptions are medications which appear on the reverse of your prescription which your doctor would like you to continue on a regular basis.
How to request a Repeat Prescription
Online
We encourage all our patients to use their NHS account – this will have all details of your repeat medication and when they are due to be repeated. You can access this via an app, your PC or your tablet.
This is the quickest and safest way to request your medication.
Find out more about the NHS App.
At Reception
Hand in the right hand side of your previous prescription with the list of your repeat medications and tick only the items you require.
If you do not have the right hand side, write to us ensuring you include your full name, date of birth and clearly state which medications you are requesting.
Post
Post us the right hand side of your previous prescription with the list of your repeat medications and tick only the items you require.
If you do not have the right hand side, write to us ensuring you include your full name, date of birth and clearly state which medications you are requesting.
Make sure you take into account how long the post can take to get to us when ordering via post.
If you are unable to request your prescriptions using the online services, please contact the surgery for alternative methods.
Why does it take 2 working days to process a repeat prescription request?
At Elmbank Surgery prescriptions are requested every day.
Our prescription clerk has to check your medical records to ensure that your medication request is on your repeat prescription, it then goes to our Clinical Pharmacist or Doctor to authorise and ensure that it is still appropriate for you. Once authorised, our reception team will file your prescription ready for collection.
Delays may occur if any medication requested is not on your repeat prescription list or if your medication request differs from what is on your list. Your doctor may also request that you make an appointment to have your medication reviewed.
Nominate a Pharmacy
Your GP can send your prescription straight to a pharmacy/chemist electronically, to save you coming to the surgery to pick it up.
In order for this to happen you need to nominate a pharmacy/chemist; to do this please log in to the online service, SystmOnline.
You can then pick up your medication from there, and it will save you a trip to the surgery; for more information, please visit the NHS Electronic Prescription Service Information Page.
Paper prescriptions can also be sent straight to your preferred pharmacy.
Visit NHS Choices for information on:
Non-Repeat Prescriptions
If you have an on-going problem and would like another prescription of a medication previously prescribed to you by the doctor (but not on your repeat list) you may request another prescription.
Please let us know the reason for your request and a contact number, in order for the doctor to review your request.
You can make the request online via SystmOnline.
Non-repeat medication request may take up to 2 working days to process and the doctor may wish to speak with you.
Prescription Costs
- Prescription charges
- Who is entitled for free prescriptions
- Medical exemptions (certain diseases will exempt you from paying for your prescription)
- Free prescriptions for cancer patients, renal dialysis patients and pregnant women
- Help for those on low income.
Emergency Prescription Requests
Emergency prescription requests are requests for medication which you have run out of and need, to prevent you becoming severely unwell; emergency medications include; antiepileptic medication, insulin, inhalers and adrenaline pens for anaphylaxis.
Emergency prescription requests cannot be used for medication which has been ordered late.
You should allow up to 2 working days for routine repeat prescription requests.
Please respect our staff, as it is your responsibility to ensure that your repeat prescription request is ordered in plenty of time.
New Patient Prescriptions
If you normally take regular repeat medication please let us know by:
- Giving us a copy of your repeat prescription slip.
- Give us a copy of your medication label on your medication box or bottle which has your name, medication dosage and date.
The prescribing pharmacist will check your medication list and put them on the repeats list but we recommend you make an appointment with the Doctor or Pharmacist to have a medication review within the first month of registering with the surgery.
It can take a couple of weeks for your previous records to be delivered to us from your last GP surgery; if you need medication before that, you can bring in your repeat slip and request your medication.
Your doctor might need to contact you about your medication request.
Please allow up to 2 working days for a prescription request.
Private Prescriptions
A GP in the surgery at which you are registered can only provide a private prescription if the medication is not available on the NHS.
A private prescription is not written on an official NHS prescription and so is not paid for by the NHS.
The cost of a private prescription is met wholly by the patient and is dictated by the cost of the medicine plus the pharmacists charge for supplying it.
A prescription is a legal document for which the doctor, who has issued and signed it, is responsible.
A doctor you see privately can’t issue an NHS prescription.
Prescribing Wisely
Please see the link below for further information on requesting your repeat prescriptions and medicines and products that can be bought over the counter without a prescription: