Why don’t we take requests by telephone?
The first and most important reason is safety. When ordering repeat medication over the phone there can be discrepancies between what the patient says they have ordered and what has been requested by the reception team. Mistakes are likely due to confusion with drug name.
It is difficult for the receptionists to accurately identify which medicines you need over the phone. This is because many people don’t know the name of their medication. Ticking the items on the most up to date medication list that was issued with your last repeat prescription improves accuracy.
We process over 1,000 medication items every day. If we took all these orders over the telephone it would block the phone lines and patients would not be able to get through to make appointments or for other queries.
Ordering by the methods detailed below allows us to create an audit trail from the request to the issue of the medication and therefore resolve any queries that may arise.
We understand that this might not be popular with some patients, but we hope that you will understand that safety is of paramount importance.
To order a repeat prescription
- Use your NHS account (on the NHS website or in the NHS app).
- Use your Systmonline account (on the Systmonline website).
- Use the repeat ordering slip on your previous prescription. Leave it at the surgery or post it to us.
Your prescription will normally be ready for collection 3 days after your order has been received. Only order a repeat prescription if you have less than 7 days of medication remaining.
We can also post your prescription to you if you provide us with a stamped, addressed envelope.
Find out more about registering for online services.
Electronic prescriptions service (EPS)
If you get regular prescriptions or are already using a prescription collection service (where a pharmacy collects prescriptions from your GP practice for you) then choosing a pharmacy to dispense all your prescriptions may save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP.
You will still order your repeat prescriptions in the same way as you do now, but your prescriptions will be sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice.
You will not have to collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice.
Go to the NHS website for further information
Medication reviews
We have a duty to review your health and medicines regularly. We will let you know if you need to make an appointment for a medication review with either our practice nurses or your doctor. We normally try and arrange these in your birthday month.
If you need urgent advice about your medication outside our surgery hours, please call NHS 111.
NHS prescription charges and exemptions
Go to the NHS website for the latest prescription charges and exemption criteria.
