As patients and members of the public, you can work with your GP practices and community pharmacies to ensure you are managing your medicines in the best way.
Ordering Your Medicines and Appliances
Order only what you need and avoid stockpiling
Check what you have at home before you place your prescription order. It is important to order only what you need and avoid stockpiling medicines. This will help to reduce wastage and shortage of medicines.
Ideally, request only one month’s supply of medication at a time to reduce waste
This will help to ensure that there are enough medicines for everyone who needs them. At times, your GP may prescribe the same quantity as usual, but your community pharmacist may not be able to give you the full supply as they also need to manage their stock levels.
However, some patients may receive prescriptions for less than or more than a month and this will usually be agreed with the GP practice. For example, patients prescribed contraceptives, creams, ointments, or those who are going away for a certain length of time.
If you find that your medicines are running out at different times, you can speak to your GP practice who will arrange for your medicines to be synchronised. This will mean that your medicines will finish at the same time, and you can order your next prescription of all of your regular medicines at the same time.
Your GP may need to prescribe alternative medicines if your usual medicines are out of stock
Manufacturing and supply issues with medicines are becoming more common. When there is a supply problem with a medicine, it can be very difficult and time consuming to try and find the medicine from another supplier.
Your local pharmacy will try their very best to source the medicine you have been prescribed. However, you may be asked to try different pharmacies (as they use different suppliers) or if a medicine is unavailable and expected to be out of stock for a long time, the GP may have to prescribe an appropriate alternative medicine for you.
Order online via your GP practice website or via an app
You may find it easier and more convenient to use the NHS app or the app chosen by your practice or pharmacy to help you manage your prescriptions. There are lots of apps to help you order your medicines, ensure you understand what each one can do for you before choosing one.
Prescription requests should not be taken over the telephone by your GP practice
Verbal requests for medication can lead to errors, so to minimise this, prescription requests are usually made on-line. If you do not have access to a computer or smartphone, you GP practice will tell you how you can order your medicines. You may be asked to complete a slip or form detailing which medication you need or alternatively, you can ask your practice for a list of your regular medication.
Each GP practice varies in how they process requests for repeat medicines. If you are unsure of how to order your medicines, please contact your GP practice who will be able to confirm this for you.
Place your prescription request at least 10 days in advance
To allow time for processing both at your GP practice and at your nominated community pharmacy, you should try to order your medication around 10 days in advance. Your GP practice normally needs around 72 hours to process your prescription request and your pharmacy may need a few days to order and prepare it.
Medicines prescribed by a hospital specialist
Each hospital has a unique way of supplying your medicines. Ensure you check and are clear on how you will receive further supplies of your medicines at your hospital appointment.
Medicines prescribed by a hospital specialist may be posted, sent by a courier or you may be asked to collect the prescription from the relevant department at the hospital. Patients that would usually get their specialist medicines or appliances from hospital should continue to do so, unless told otherwise.
The GP will usually not be able to prescribe medicines that are supplied by a specialist hospital and/or clinic.
Homecare company or appliance contractor prescriptions
If you normally receive supplies from a homecare company or an appliance contractor e.g., catheters or nutritional products, you can still order your prescriptions from your GP practice by Electronic Prescriptions (EPS). Again, only order what you need, to avoid stockpiling.
Please note: Do not request deliveries when using both the myGP and Doctorlink apps, an in app fault means your prescriptions will be sent to an online pharmacy service, rather than to the correct supplier.
Disposal of medicines
When disposing of medicine in the UK, it is recommended to take the medication to your local pharmacy, whether or not they have expired. Pharmacies have the ability to dispose of medication in the safest way possible for the public and the environment.
Your Prescriptions
Ask your community pharmacy or surgery to change your prescriptions to electronic prescriptions (EPS)
EPS means you do not have to visit the GP surgery to pick up your prescription. The GP practice sends the prescription electronically to your nominated community pharmacy. Please note, there may be a very short delay in the prescriptions arriving at the nominated community pharmacy after you have had a consultation with your clinician.
Find out if you are suitable to receive your prescriptions via electronic repeat dispensing (eRD)
The eRD system is only suitable for patients who have been taking medication for a certain period of time and are considered to be stable on it. It allows your GP practice to issue up to a year’s supply of medicines in instalments e.g., 12 x 28 day prescriptions at once. You will be able to request and collect your prescription directly from your nominated community pharmacy at regular intervals. You will only need to request medication from your GP again once the prescription instalments are near the end. Again, request only the specific medicines you need each month, to avoid stockpiling.
Prescription charges
Community pharmacies collect prescription charges on behalf of the government. Your community pharmacy will confirm if any NHS prescription charges apply to your prescription and any charges are usually collected in the pharmacy. Patients eligible for an exemption for an NHS prescription will usually have to sign a declaration at the back of the prescription.
You can save money on NHS prescriptions if you buy NHS Prepayment Certificates. You pay a set price for 3 or 12 months and then show your certificate when you collect your prescription.
From 1 April 2023, women prescribed HRT, the main treatment for menopause symptoms, will have access to a new scheme enabling access to a year’s worth of menopause prescription items for the cost of 2 single prescription charges.
Private prescriptions
If you have seen a doctor or other healthcare professional privately and they need you to start treatment, you may be issued with a private prescription. There are also circumstances when your NHS GP may write you a private prescription.
A private prescription is not written on an official NHS prescription template and so is not paid for by the NHS. For this reason, the price of a private prescription is not pre-set. The pharmacy will inform you how much they will charge you to provide the private prescription.
Local Community Pharmacies
Self-care
Minor health conditions that are classified as non-serious can often be treated by yourself, without the need to consult a doctor. This is called self-care.
For minor health conditions, it may be more appropriate to have your NHS consultation with a pharmacist instead of the GP practiceYour GP practice can refer you to be seen in a community pharmacy convenient to you. Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can support with a range of health concerns. They will let the GP practice know what happened at your consultation, and if you need any follow-up appointments.
It is useful to have a well-stocked medicines cabinet with medicines and first aid products that you may need for treating minor conditions e.g., hay fever, coughs and colds. Make sure to check the expiry date of your medication. It is important to note that all medication should be kept in a safe location, out of sight and reach from children.
Community pharmacies are always available for advice on health conditions. Staff at your local pharmacy are available to advise you on suitable products that can be purchased from the pharmacy to keep at home. Several medicines are also available from local supermarkets and other retail outlets. Please avoid stockpiling large quantities of medicines.
Pharmacy opening and closing times
To find a pharmacy near you including opening hours use ‘Find Pharmacy Services’.
It is also important to note that to allow for staff breaks, pharmacies are allowed to close for a period of time over lunch. At this time the pharmacist may not be on the pharmacy premises. This means that staff are not legally allowed to sell you any pharmacy-only (P) medicines or give out any prescriptions. If you are collecting any medicines and /or prescriptions over lunch time, check with the pharmacy if they will be open.
Allow time for the community pharmacy to deliver your medicines
The delivery of medicines patients’ homes is NOT funded by the NHS (it is NOT a NHS service), this is carried out by Community Pharmacies at a cost to themselves. If you have your medicines delivered to you by the community pharmacy, please remember that they are extremely busy and sometimes the delivery can take a bit longer than expected.
Make sure you are at home for receipt of your medicines as these cannot be left outside, left with neighbours or posted through the letterbox.
If you have any questions about your medicine delivery, contact your pharmacy and they will be able to help.
Blood tests for monitoring your treatment
Your GP or hospital specialist has a responsibility to arrange for you to have regular blood tests. Some medicines require monitoring of specific functions e.g. your kidneys, liver or thyroid. The blood tests will help determine how well your medicines are working. Please check with your hospital specialist or your GP for advice on where and how often these blood tests need to take place.
After a period of time, your GP or specialist may change your medicine to one that requires less frequent monitoring. Your clinician will let you know if this applies to you. In other cases, the community pharmacy may refer you back to the GP for a blood test.
Medicines and fasting
Please speak to your GP or pharmacist if you are taking medicines and are considering fasting. Depending on the medicine(s) that you are taking, you may be asked to amend the time that you take your medicine or be changed to a different medicine if fasting is for a prolonged period of time.
The following resources may help you if you decide to fast during the month of Ramadan.
Medicines from other healthcare professionals
Dentists provide routine dental treatments and procedures. A dentist may give you a prescription for your dental care or advise you to purchase dental treatment from a community pharmacy. If you require a dentist, please visit Find a Dentist.
Your optometrist (also called opticians) may refer you to your GP if appropriate or may ask you to purchase your treatment from a community pharmacy following a consultation at the Minor Eye Condition Service (MECS). This is an NHS service which provides assessment and treatment for people with recently occurring minor eye problems.
Further information
As always, your GP practice and local community pharmacies are available to answer your individual health and medicine queries. For general queries, check the GP website before you call them as there may be updates posted online.
Remember, telephone lines may be busy at times as other patients are also trying to get through to the GP practice.
If you need medical help fast, but it’s not a life-threatening situation, call or visit online NHS 111.In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.
Useful links
- My Pickle is a national support network for various topics including health, money, relationships, family and much more and has a list of nationwide services available.
- Cost of living support gives information on what help and support is available to help with the cost of living. This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing, and travel.
- NHS 111 has information about symptoms to look out for, when to get help and what to do in an emergency.
- SWL Healthier Together is intended to support parents and carers of children as well as providing advice around mental health and wellbeing.
Document History
Version V1.0
Approval date: May 2023