Repeat Prescriptions
Patients approved by their clinician for repeat prescriptions have a number of options to choose from when re-ordering medication:
Online - by following the link at the top of this page and completing a simple registration.
If you have already registered for Patient Access you can login by clicking the button below:
In Person - drop your repeat slip in at reception with the required items clearly marked.
By Post - send it to us with a stamped addressed envelope if you want us to post it back to you.
By Email - please send your name, DOB and items required to carntocoast@nhs.net
In the majority of cases we can now send your prescription electronically to your chosen pharmacy. Please let us know if you do not wish us to do this.
Down to your last week's supply of medication? - order it now to give us and your chosen pharmacy plenty of time to get it ready for you.
Medication Reviews
Patients on repeat medication will be asked to speak to or see a doctor, nurse practitioner or practice nurse at least once a year to review these regular medications and notification should appear on your repeat slip.
Please ensure that you contact the surgery to book a telephone consultation or an appropriate appointment to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions.
Please allow at least two full working days for prescriptions to be processed by us (pharmacies will need a further 2 working days to dispense your medication) and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account, eg, a prescription requested on Friday afternoon before a bank holiday weekend will usually be with your chosen pharmacy by Wednesday afternoon the following week.
PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS - Information for patients
28-Day Prescriptions – Advice for Patients
From time to time Carn to Coast Health Centres receives requests from patients to give out prescriptions for more than one month’s medication. NHS guidelines promote 28 day prescriptions. This is largely to reduce waste from unused medication as medicines which have been prescribed cannot be re-used if the healthcare needs of a patient change. It also reduces the dangers associated with excess drugs in the home. Our local Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS Kernow) have stated that they ‘believe 28 day prescribing is the best balance between patient convenience, good medical practice and minimal drug wastage in a time of scarce NHS resources’.
In recognition of the advice received by the Practice, our clinicians are strongly encouraged to avoid issuing longer prescriptions and to adhere strictly, wherever practicable, to the Carn to Coast Health Centres policy of routinely issuing prescriptions to patients for 28 days’ supply of repeat medications. This gives a regular routine for patients and allows for ordering in good time. It is convenient if issues of different medications regularly needed can all be brought into line and issued together so as to reduce the number of requests and achieve a more co-ordinated approach to care. (We acknowledge that there are reasonable exceptions where a patient plans to be away from home on holiday or on business, and to cover Christmas and other Bank Holidays.)
The above policy need not cause inconvenience to the patient. Prescriptions can be sent automatically to the patient’s nominated pharmacy of choice as part of the electronic prescription service (EPS). We are also promoting ‘electronic repeat dispensing’ (ERD), whereby the surgery authorises the pharmacy to dispense on multiple occasions. This means that instead of coming back to the surgery every time for a repeat prescription, the patient can make their request directly to the pharmacy. (Patients can still request early issue from the pharmacy for the exceptional circumstances already mentioned above.) Please talk to our prescriptions team if you wish to set up EPS or discuss ERD.
If you are eligible to pay for prescription charges then it may be worth you applying for a prepayment certificate. This costs £104 per year payable in monthly instalments and then all prescriptions are exempt of charges for the year. This compares to £105.60 for one medication per month. https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates
December 2018