Prescriptions
How Do I Order My Repeat Prescription?
- Online – Using our prescription requests triage.
- Using our online services – SystmOnline. If you would like to register for this free service please complete our Register for Online Services Form.
- Requesting a repeat prescription through your local pharmacy order and collect service.
- In person or by post.
Please allow 2 working days (excluding weekends) for your prescription to be ready.
Requesting Medication Issued By A Hospital
If you are contacting us regarding a medication which has been started or amended by the hospital, we would like to explain the protocol to you.
We have clear processes in place to deal with such changes. The hospital team will usually issue you with enough medication supply via a hospital outpatient prescription until we can take over. Patients do not need to contact us to inform of any medication changes as we receive letters from hospital teams directly. Once a letter is received ( usually electronically), our admin team passes it to the medication reconciliation team, which consists of Amy, our senior pharmacist and Janet, our pharmacy technician, who will update your repeat prescription. We aim for this to be done within 1 week after an inpatient admission and within 2 weeks after an outpatient attendance at the hospital clinic. The delay before that in receiving the communication( being dictated and typed up by hospital team) is outside our control but is not common.
A prescriber should only change medication if they have either assessed a patient themselves or have clear written evidence that another clinician has assessed and made changes. Please note that a copy of the outpatients prescription is not enough and we usually need the full clinic letter which gives details of diagnosis and reason for starting medication.
We will not contact you to inform you that your prescription has been updated unless there is a query. You can expect the new medication to be on your repeat prescription in the time frame given above. Making requests earlier than that puts pressure on our existing systems.
Prescription Fees
View the cost of prescriptions on the NHS website, NHS: Get Help With Prescription Costs.
You can also find out if you are entitled to free prescriptions at NHS: Get Help With Prescription Costs.