Repeat Prescriptions

There has been an increase in demand for medication to be issued urgently. As a result, we have had to review the way in which we process these requests as urgent requests significantly impact both clinician and administration staff.

Urgent requests will be reviewed by the Duty GP / Pharmacist. Urgent requests may be processed by the next working day depending on the assessment of your request.

A request is only deemed urgent if the patients has run out of medication on the day and the medication is required the same day.

If medication has been lost and it is a controlled drug, then this must be reported to the police to gain a crime reference number and note the crime reference number on request.

If the patient has seen a hospital clinician who has requested medication to be prescribed, then the request must be actioned through the normal process.

Examples medications that will be considered as part of an urgent request:

• Inhalers for any respiratory condition
• Antidepressants
• Medications for epilepsy
• Warfarin and other anticoagulants
• Anti-psychotics
• Adrenaline
• GTN
• Prednisolone and other corticosteroids
• Antibiotics for acute infection
• Medicines for End of life care – Just in case medication
• Insulin

All requests will be considered individually.

Saturday, Sunday and Bank holidays are not considered as working days and your request will be processed on the next working day.

The NHS app is now the most efficient way for ordering your repeat medication. This shows your list of repeat medication and allows you to request medication from the surgery

This is to allow the dispensary team more time to deal with an increasing number of medication requests and medication supply issues and still continue to provide an efficient service for our patients

Learn more about the NHS App

The easiest way to order your prescription is by using our online services.

Learn more about online services

Pharmacy Ordering / Collection Service

Pharmacies offer a prescription collection service from our Practice

Your pharmacy can also order your medication on your behalf. This saves you time and unnecessary visits to the Practice. Please contact the Pharmacy of your choice for more information if you wish to use this service.

About pharmacists

As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:

• coughs
• colds
• sore throats
• tummy trouble
• aches and pains

They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.

Find a pharmacy

You can order in person by returning the right-hand half of a previous prescription for the required medications.

Or, you can submit a handwritten request. You may also write out an order for someone else. You must include the patient's name, date of birth and requested medication.

You can post your prescription slip or written request to us at the Practice.

If you're unable to collect your prescription from the surgery, please include a stamped, addressed envelope for return by post. Please allow at least seven days if requesting your medication by post.

• Make sure your medication is within the expiry date.
• Be sure that medications are out of reach of any children or anyone who might misuse them. This is especially true of medications that look like water or soft drinks.
• Check to see that medications needing refrigeration are stored in an area where they will not freeze. Make sure the medications are kept separate from other foods. You might want to store them in a box or container that sets them apart.
• Take medication where there is good light so the medicine label can be seen clearly.
• Store medicine in its original container. Do not mix different medications together in the same container. This will make it difficult to identify during an emergency.
• Store all medicines in one designated location together. The location should be a dry and cool place. The kitchen and bathroom are bad places to store medicine because of the heat and moisture generated. You may need to use a locked cabinet or box. If you must keep your medicines in the bathroom, keep the containers tightly closed. If you store medicines in a kitchen, keep them away from the stove, sink, and any hot appliances.
• Do not share medications prescribed to you with others.
• Discard any medication that has expired or that your physician has discontinued. Also, if there is no label on the container, throw out the medication. Be sure to return your unused medication to the pharmacist/Surgery

• It is important to protect the environment and prevent unintentional misuse and illegal abuse by properly disposing of unused medications. Controlled substances such as pain medications should be disposed of with particular care and therefore must be returned to the pharmacy or surgery for safe disposal.
• Before disposing of any medication, you should consult the label for any specific instructions.
• Unused medicines cannot be reissued, if you never open them.  It is against the law to re-issue medicines once dispensed.
• Please return your unused medicines to the pharmacy or surgery for safe disposal.
• Do not flush medicines down the toilet as this feeds into the waterways and wider environment. The disposal of unused prescription medications is getting considerable attention due to concerns over the detection of pharmaceutical ingredients in the environment.

Only order what you need. Avoid unnecessary waste

The potential money wasted on medicines across Somerset, could pay for;

• 809 hip replacements
• 1,013 knee replacements
• 117 community nurses
• 197 drug treatment courses for breast cancer
• 3,000 more drug treatment courses for Alzheimer’s

Further information

• Information on how to reduce waste
• Information on getting the best from your medicines