Repeat Prescribing Policy

Urgent requests

If you forget to order or lose your medications, please place a new order immediately. We have a list of ‘Urgent Medications’ when it would be unsafe to miss doses. Requests for these medications will be processed the same day. For the majority of medications, it will be 3 working days.

Dependency forming medications

Some medications, such as benzodiazepines, opioids and gabapentinoids, are addictive. We only prescribe these medications in exceptional circumstances and you will be required to sign an agreement before we can issue them.

Medication review date

If you are on repeat prescriptions, you will have a medication review in the month of your birthday, annually. It is your responsibility to attend for any required monitoring, such as blood tests or blood pressure checks. We can not issue these medications until the required monitoring is complete.

Remember: we’re here to help

The process of ordering medications can sometimes be confusing and stressful. We’re here to help.

3 working days

It is our Practice policy to turnaround medication requests within 3 working days.

Prescriptions from private providers

We do not accept requests to prescribe Shared Care Drugs from any Non-NHS providers.

The Practice reserves the right to decline any request to takeover prescribing from any provider. However, in most instances, if the medication is approved on the APC Formulary we will happily take over prescribing upon your Consultant’s request.

Shared Care Drugs

In order for the Practice to take on prescribing of a Shared Care Drug, the following criteria must be met:

• NHS Shared Care Agreement signed by the Specialist present in notes
• You must be stable on the medication for 12 weeks under care of Specialist

Medications started in secondary care

When starting a medication in secondary care, it is the responsibility of the prescriber to issue 28 days supply of medications and ensure a discharge summary or clinic letter detailing the initiation is sent to the Practice. The Practice will not issue any such medications until we have received this documentation.

Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care

Examples of medicines commonly prescribed that should be purchased over the counter