Please Allow 10 Working Days for Prescriptions To Be Processed

Repeat prescriptions can be ordered in a number of different ways; 

• in person by dropping off your repeat slip at any of our Dispensaries
• or the safest and fastest method, which is online, by following the link at the top of this page and completing a simple one-off registration. 

You can also contact our reception and request online access to order medication and you will be taken through 3 simple questions to confirm your identity.  There is no need to bring any documentation to the practice.

Online access will allow you to see your medications which are available to order and provides a full audit trail for your safety.

Please note that whilst you may obtain some medication on a regular basis this may not mean that it is recorded as a repeat on our system as some medication must be authorised by a GP at each issue.  If this is the case our team will pass your request to the GP to action. 

The dispensary is open at the following times apart from the afternoons when we are closed for Protected Learning Time.

Help with NHS costs

In England, around 90% of prescription items are dispensed free. This includes exemptions from charging for those on low incomes, such as:

• those on specific benefits or through the NHS Low Income Scheme
• those who are age exempt
• those with certain medical conditions
• More information is available at NHS Choices

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

• Prescription (per item): £9.65
• 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60
• 3-month PPC: £31.25

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

• Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
• General Public - Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website.

The policy for 28 day prescribing has been in operation for many years and has generally been promoted by successive health authorities across the UK with the main emphasis being on the reduction of waste from unused medicines. Studies as far back as 1996 identified a correlation between the value of returns and prescription length and our local evidence from Cumbrian audits continues to confirm that the longer duration of the prescribing the higher the level of waste becomes.

Other reasons for shorter duration prescribing include the need for safety monitoring for some drugs, the ability for some patients to manage their medication and patients whose condition requires frequent changes to dosage.

The Practice is aware of some issues associated with shorter duration prescribing such as increased costs for the Dispensary and inconvenience for patients however the practice policy is in line with the current guidance from the Department of Health that prescribing intervals should be in line with the medically appropriate needs of the patient, taking into account the need to safeguard NHS resources, patient convenience, and the dangers of excess drugs in the home.

We continue to support the view that 28 day prescribing is in line with accepted best practice but that where appropriate the individual patient circumstances will be taken into account. All decisions to implement repeat prescribing are taken by a GP in consultation with the patient and will continue to be reviewed at agreed intervals as part of a standard medication review process.