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Repeat prescription - Frequently asked questions...
- How do I order my prescription?
- When will it be ready?
- Where can I collect it from?
- What if it's urgent?
- Why aren't all the drugs I take on my re-order form?
- How do I get more of a drug that isn't on my re-order form?
- Why do I only get 56 days worth at a time?
- Why haven't you given me everything I asked for?
- I'm going on holiday - I'll need more than usual
- I'm going on holiday - do I need a letter for customs?
How do I order
my prescription?
When you need more of your medication, tick the items you require on your pink re-order slip. Next either hand the slip into reception, post it to us, fax it to us (672 1952) or (coming soon) email it to us. Your prescription will be ready to collect within 48hours os us receiving it.
If you cannot find your pink re-order slip simply write what you require on a piece of paper and send it to us as above. Please remember if you are doing this to include your name and address and the "real" drug names for your items.
Your prescription will be ready to be collected from the surgery in 48 hours after we receive it. This is 48 hours but excludes weekends, Bank holidays and other times when we are closed. So if you hand it in on a Friday afternoon it will be ready on the next Tuesday. Remember if you post it to us it may take a short time to arrive.
You may collect your prescription directly from the surgery front desk, we can post it back to you if you include a stamped addressed envelope, or we can arrange for it to be sent to one of the local chemists. We send to Flemings (Liberton Brae), Taylors (Captains Rd), Inch Pharmacy and Hutchisons Pharmacy. If you choose this method remember to tell us on the re-order slip which chemist you use!
We get many prescription requests that are marked urgent all over them. Whilst we always try to get you your medication as soon as we can we state a 48 hours turn around for a reason. It takes that amount of time for the prescription to be produced, then checked and signed by the Doctor. Rushed prescriptions lead to mistakes in our experience.
You get 56 days to arrange your next prescription - don't leave it to the last 30 mins...
Why aren't all
the drugs I take on my re-order form?
Repeat prescriptions are started by your doctor when they are confident that the medication and dose is right for you. Often when you are starting a new medication, even one that you may be on long term the doctor will not put it onto repeat until they are happy that it is right for you and the condition is under control. For example when treating high blood pressure often we have to gradually increase drug doses to get the dose and / or combination of drugs right to control the blood pressure. In this instance we will only put the drug onto repeat once the blood pressure (and hence the dosage) is stable.
There are also a number of medications that we will not put onto repeat prescription for a variety of reasons. These drugs include steroids of any nature, oral contraceptives / HRT, antidepressants, any drug of an addictive nature and a number of psychiatric preparations. Most of these require regular medical or nursing review and this is best achieved by reviewing the patient.
How do I get
more of a drug that isn't on my re-order form?
Either write to us as above or fill out a "special request" form at the front desk. The Doctor will consider the request and either make out a prescription or ask to see you. If we ask to see you it is not to irritate you but because we feel that is the safest way for you - please remember that when the receptionist tells you...
Why do I only
get 56 days worth at a time?
In common with most practices in Lothian and through agreement with the local pharmacies we all dispense 56 days worth of medication at a time.
Why haven't you
given me everything I asked for?
Because we may need to see you before you get a further prescription. Also we are often asked for further courses of treatment of an item you had several months or even years ago. This may seem to you like the same problem back again and it may well be, but often it is safer for you to be seen by the doctor rather than blindly treating a problem again.
We are also often asked to prescribe medication to "stock cupboards". We will happily treat and prescribe appropriately for a medical condition, but the NHS is not here to let you stock up on goods you may wish. Most people would be expected to buy simple medications like calpol or paracetamol from their chemists.
I'm going on
holiday - I'll need more than usual
If you are away for a normal 2 or 3 week break then most people will not need extra medication. If you are going for a longer trip then let us know and we will usually give you enough to last you.
However there is a limit! We cannot provide months worth of medication when you are overseas for a prolonged period. You will be expected to obtain Health care locally.
I'm going on
holiday - do I need a letter for customs?
It is unusual to either be going to a country or be carrying medication that requires medical certification. Customs Officers do not need letters from the GP for normal medications. There have however been instances post 9/11 of patients having difficulty with for example diabetic syringes on long haul flights - in these cases we can provide suitable references.
