Your GP will usually give you your first prescription which will have 2 parts. The GREEN slip is the actual prescription which you give to the pharmacist to obtain your medication. The WHITE side shows the list of drugs that you can order as repeat issues.
Ways to request a repeat prescription
There are several ways to request your repeat prescription detailed below. Please remember it takes five full working days from us receiving your request to getting your prescription to your chosen pharmacy.
A repeat prescription allows you to get supplies of your medication without having to see your GP. This will only be done once you are stable on a medication and it is agreed between you and your doctor that you need to take it for longer than a single course. It is not always appropriate to put or to continue a medicine on repeat prescription. This may occur if:
- The medication is a short course of medicine for an acute problem, i.e. antibiotics for acute infections
- Medications that are changing or we are adjusting the doses.
- When a review is needed or overdue: your doctor may stop your medication if it is considered unsafe to prescribe before a clinical review is completed. This is to ensure that your medication is appropriate and at the right dose.
You can request your medications through the NHS App on your mobile phone or tablet, NHS Login or online access systems such as Patient Access and Evergreen Life.
Once logged in, these services will show you the medications available on repeat. You then simply click on the ones you need and press send.
If you are not registered for any of these services, you can use our online patient triage form to submit an admin request
You can hand in the white side of your last script with the medications you need highlighted. This can be then dropped into the practice prescription box. The box is on the wall inside the atrium before you enter reception. If you have lost this part of your script you can write down your request clearly with your full name, date of birth, home address, and where you would like the prescription sent to.
You can ask your pharmacy by phone or in person to request your repeat medications on your behalf. Remember that it takes 5 working days for the practice to process your request after the pharmacy have given it to us, so it can take 7 to 10 days to get your medication. You can also arrange with your pharmacy if you need your tablets in trays, to start repeat dispensing or to set up electronic prescriptions.
All prescriptions are checked and signed by a doctor and any urgent request for medication will take the GP away from seeing patients. Please allow 5 working days for prescriptions to be ready for collection at the pharmacy. However, if you need to request an urgent prescription please call the practice on 01235 770245 or use the online form and we will endeavour to meet your request as appropriate.
Pharmacists can also dispense emergency supplies of repeat medications without a prescription where there is a genuine urgent clinical need. You will need to go to the pharmacy to request this.
We and all our local pharmacies offer this service. You can sign up to have electronic prescribing at your local pharmacy of choice. This is a paperless service. It means that your prescriptions are requested by the pharmacy electronically and are then checked and signed by your GP on their computers.
There are many advantages to having a paperless prescription service. These include:
- If you collect your repeat prescriptions from your GP you will not have to visit your GP practice to pick up your paper prescription. Instead, your GP will send it electronically to the place you choose, saving you time.
- You will have more choice about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy near to where you live, work or shop.
- You may not have to wait as long at the pharmacy as there will be time for your repeat prescriptions to be ready before you arrive.
