Repeat Prescriptions

Emergency prescription requests are requests for medication which you have run out of and need, to prevent you becoming severely unwell. Emergency medications include; antiepileptic medication, insulin, inhalers and adrenaline pens for anaphylaxis.

Emergency prescription requests cannot be used for medication which has been ordered late. You should allow up to 2 working days for routine repeat prescription requests. Please respect our staff, as it is your responsibility to ensure that your repeat prescription request is ordered in plenty of time.

If you normally take regular repeat medication please let us know by:

Giving us a copy of your repeat prescription slip.

Give us a copy of your medication label on your medication box or bottle which has your name, medication dosage and date.

The prescribing pharmacist will check your medication list and put them on the repeats list but we recommend you make an appointment with the Doctor or Pharmacist to have a medication review within the first month of registering with the surgery. It can take a couple of weeks for your previous records to be delivered to us from your last GP surgery.  If you need medication before that, you can bring in your repeat slip and request your medication. Your doctor might need to contact you about your medication request. Please allow up to 3 working days for a prescription request.

Requesting Online

You are able to request your repeat prescription via our online services; Systm Online.

Why does it take 3 working days to process a repeat prescription request?

At Elm Trees Surgery prescriptions are requested every day.

Our prescription clerk has to check your medical records to ensure that your medication request is on your repeat prescription, it then goes to our Clinical Pharmacist or Doctor to authorise and ensure that it is still appropriate for you. Once authorised, our reception team will file your prescription ready for collection.

Delays may occur if any medication requested is not on your repeat prescription list or if your medication request differs from what is on your list. Your doctor may also request that you make an appointment to have your medication reviewed.

Please see the link below for further information on requesting your repeat prescriptions and medicines and products that can be bought over the counter without a prescription:

Local Support – Prescribing Wisely

How to order a non-repeat prescription

If you have an on-going problem and would like another prescription of a medication previously prescribed to you by the doctor (but not on your repeat list) you may request another prescription. Please let us know the reason for your request and a contact number, in order for the doctor to review your request.

You can make the request online via Systm Online.

Non-repeat medication request may take up to 3 working days to process and the doctor may wish to speak with you.

Your GP can send your prescription straight to a pharmacy/chemist electronically, to save you coming to the surgery to pick it up. In order for this to happen you need to nominate a pharmacy/chemist.

To do this please log in to the online service, Systm Online . You can then pick up your medication from there, and it will save you a trip to the surgery. For more information, please visit the NHS Electronic Prescription Service Information Page.

Paper prescriptions can also be sent straight to your preferred pharmacy.

Prescription Costs

Visit NHS Choices for information on:

Prescription charges

Who is entitled for free prescriptions

Medical exemptions (certain diseases will exempt you from paying for your prescription)

Free prescriptions for cancer patients, renal dialysis patients and pregnant women

Help for those on low income.

Private Prescriptions

A GP in the surgery at which you are registered can only provide a private prescription if the medication is not available on the NHS.

A private prescription is not written on an official NHS prescription and so is not paid for by the NHS.

The cost of a private prescription is met wholly by the patient and is dictated by the cost of the medicine plus the pharmacists charge for supplying it.

A prescription is a legal document for which the doctor, who has issued and signed it, is responsible. A doctor you see privately can’t issue an NHS prescription.