Prescriptions

Ordering repeat prescriptions

The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:

These accounts show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.

If you need a medication which is a not a repeat prescription please complete an admin request via the online triage system.

We do not take repeat prescription requests over the phone or email.

Please see information below regarding private prescriptions.

We are unable to prescribe sedating medications such as diazepam for fear of flying or procedures e.g. MRI, please see our practice policy below for further information

Diazepam policyDownload

Collecting your prescription

We require up to three working days to process your prescriptions. Please can you help us and try to avoid your medicines running out. We cannot process your request while you wait in reception.

Please allow extra time for weekends and bank holidays.

Collect your prescription from the pharmacy 3 to 5 working days after you have ordered it.

You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy. This means that you do not have to come to the surgery to collect your prescription and then take it to a chemist.

You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:

  • on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
  • at your GP practice
  • at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions.

Contraception reviews

Please complete a review form when asked to do so by a member of our team:

Combined pill review
Mini/progesterone only pill review

Non-urgent advice: Why can’t I get a prescription for an over-the-counter medicine?

Please don’t ask your GP for medicines which can be bought at the pharmacy. A GP, nurse or pharmacist will generally not give you a prescription for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for a range of minor health conditions.

Further information about OTC medicines is available from NHS UK

Questions about your prescription

If you have questions about your medicine, your local pharmacists can answer these. They can also answer questions on medicines you can buy without a prescription.

The NHS website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.

Go to the Medicines A to Z

About pharmacists

As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:

  • coughs
  • colds
  • sore throats
  • tummy trouble
  • aches and pains

They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.

Find a pharmacy near you

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

Most pharmacies have a private consultation. You can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

Non-urgent advice: Queries regarding Pharmacies

We sometimes have a number of queries regarding Prescription Processing issues with local Pharmacies. Please be advised we cannot help, or control local pharmacy processing times or handle complaints or concerns about any pharmacy. If you have concerns about Pharmacy processing times or any other issues we advise you to contact the Pharmacy directly.
We do recommend that patients download the NHS App to help with ordering and managing their medication requests. 

Additional Information

We can all forget to request prescriptions but when it happens regularly it disrupts receptionists from work supporting other patients on the day. Some patients have found it helpful moving to online ordering of prescriptions and/or tying in the reordering of prescriptions to a specific day of the month well before they run out of medication. Potentially even better if appropriate is moving to electronic repeat dispensing which allows you to just pick up your medication directly from your local chemist without need to put in a regular order.
If your medication is out of sync and you are having to order your medication at different times of the month, please complete the attached form and we will amend your medication so that they run in line with each other.

You can bring the completed form to the surgery, or post or email it to us.

If you have a repeat prescription, we may ask you to come in for a regular review. We will be in touch when you need to come in for a review.

Private prescriptions are medication which your private doctor has recommended for you on a private prescription. 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 for. Therefore, a NHS doctor cannot convert a private prescription to an NHS prescription. A doctor you see privately can’t issue an NHS prescription.
A GP in the surgery at which you are registered can only provide a private prescription if the drug is not available on the NHS.

On rare occasions, medicines can have an adverse effect. If you experience any such issues, please get on touch with the surgery immediately. An App is available for reporting adverse reactions.
Download the Yellow Card mobile app
If you are taking medicines abroad, it is advisable to check UK rules and those of the country that you are visiting. Please talk to your doctor or practice nurse at least two months before making your trip abroad. Please visit: Travel Health Pro for further information and guidance.

Take it to the pharmacy you got it from or bring it in to the surgery. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.

Opioids provide pain relief by acting on areas in the spinal cord and brain to block the transmission of pain signals. Opioids are considered to be some of the strongest painkillers available and are used to treat pain after surgery, serious injury and cancer. Examples of these include codeine, dihydrocodeine and co-codamol (which contains paracetamol and codeine).

What dose of opioid should I take?

The correct dose of any medicine is the lowest dose that produces a noticeable benefit. It is not usual to get complete relief of pain from opioids. Your GP may recommend an “opiate trial” for 2-3 weeks, then review if the benefits of taking the medication outweigh the risks. You should always take the correct dose of prescribed medicines. If you feel the dose isn’t enough, or if the side effects interfere with your life, discuss this with your GP.

What are the possible side effects?

When you first start taking opioids you can get some side effects, which usually stop after a few days. These include:
feeling dizzy
feeling sick (nausea)
being sick (vomiting)
feeling sleepy If pain has affected your sleep, opioids may help you to recover your normal pattern of sleep, but they should not make you drowsy in the daytime. Opioid medicines can cause some problems when you take them for long periods of time.
These problems include:
constipation*
itching
weight gain
lack of sex drive
* This is common when taking opioids and does not tend to go away the longer you take opioid medicines. You may need to try laxatives to treat constipation.

Can I drink alcohol?

Alcohol and opioids both can cause sleepiness and poor concentration. You should avoid alcohol completely when you first start on opioids or when your dose has just been increased.

Will my body get used to opioid medicines?

Opioids can become less effective with time (this is called tolerance) meaning your body has got used to the pain relieving effect of the medicine. You can also become dependent on opioid medicines (dependence).

What about addiction to opioids?

It is rare for people in pain to become addicted to opioids. People who are addicted to opioids can:
feel out of control about how much medicine they take or how often they take it
crave the drug
continue to take the drug even when it has a negative effect on their physical or mental health

Can I take this medicine long-term?

While opioids can have a positive benefit for some people living with long-term pain they can have serious consequences when they are not providing sufficient benefit or are being taken in a manner that was not intended. It is important to consider the risks and benefits of continued opioid therapy with your prescriber on a regular basis. Recent medical literature suggests that the risks to your health increase significantly when prescribing opioids at high doses for a long period of time.