Prescriptions
Repeat Prescriptions
How to order
Please allow 5 working days for prescriptions to be processed and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account. Your prescriptions will available for collection after 3 pm.
prescription Charges & Exemptions
Extensive exemption and remission arrangements protect those likely to have difficulty in paying charges (NHS prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs). The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.
NHS charges
These charges apply in England only from April 2023. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.
- Prescription (per item): £9.65
- 3-month PPC: £31.25
- 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60. If you have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.
- Telephone advice and order line NHS Prescription Services 0300 330 1341
- General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC Online
There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website
Electronic Prescription Service
The Electronic Prescription Service allows your prescription to be sent electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. To sign up, you need to speak to your preferred pharmacy and complete a form to confirm that they can receive your prescription directly.
Once you have signed up, your chosen pharmacy will receive your prescription electronically and you will not have to pick up your paper prescription from us.
If you have already nominated a pharmacy, your prescription will be sent to them electronically unless you tell us otherwise. If you need to obtain a paper prescription for any reason, just let us know at the time of ordering.
For more information, please speak to your pharmacist.
28 Day Repeat Prescribing
According to the Department of Health, a 28-day repeat prescribing interval is recognised by the NHS as making the best possible balance between patient convenience, good medical practice and minimal drug wastage.
In line with this guidance, our standard will shortly become 28 days prescribing to ensure safe repeat prescribing. Pre-payment certificates may help some patients financially and repeat dispensing may offer for patients on regular and stable medication.
Please use your usual reviews to discuss your medication.
Electronic Repeat Dispensing
We are now offering a new NHS service called Electronic Repeat Dispensing, or eRD. This service means you only have to request your medication once a year. It will automatically be sent to your pharmacy every four weeks without you having to do anything.
We offer this service to patients who are on long-term medication, who have not needed any changes to their medication in the last year. The automatic repeat prescriptions will last until your next review is needed. The best time to go onto this system is just after an annual review, but you can start it at any point as long as your review is at least 3 months away.
If you are interested in this service, please contact us.
Repeat medication
The medicines management team conducts general house keeping on our patients’ repeat template periodically. If your repeat medication has not been issued in the last 2 years, they may be removed from your medication list as part of the tidy up.
Don’t worry, you can still request for these items if and when you need them. Your request will be reviewed by a clinician at that time to ensure it is still safe and appropriate to use.
Remember to check the expiry dates on your ‘when required’ medicines that you have had for a while (e.g salbutamol inhalers, GTN sprays, adrenaline pens)