Prescriptions

Repeat prescriptions are medications which appear on the reverse of your prescription which your doctor would like you to continue on a regular basis.

Ordering repeat prescriptions

Please allow 48 hours (two working days), excluding bank holidays, for your prescription request to be processed

The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:

• using your NHS account (through the NHS website or in the NHS App)
• using the GP online system: Patient Access
• in person (over 75 only) or if you do not have access to the internet – fill in a prescription request form or underline the items needed on the tear-off side of your prescription and drop it into the surgery. Please do not order any medications you do not need
• via post – if a stamped addressed envelope is supplied, your prescription can be returned via Royal Mail.

Dosette Boxes FAQs

What is a dosette box?

Dosette boxes, also known as ‘trays’, ‘blister packs’ or ‘multi-compartment compliance aids’ are containers which have separate compartments for days of the week and times of the day and can assist people with taking their medicines.

How do I get a dosette box?

Dosette boxes are not suitable for all medicines and are not always available for free.

The Community Pharmacist who dispenses your medicines will need to assess your situation to determine whether you may benefit from a dosette box or other support. The decision is not up to the GP Practice, social care or any other agency.

To make this decision, your Community Pharmacist is expected to undertake an assessment with you. This includes questions about:

• your medicines
• your eye sight
• your ability to open medicines from their container
• your memory regarding ordering and taking your medicines and if this is affected by physical or mental impairment or disability.

These questions will support the Community Pharmacist to determine whether you may be covered under the Equality Act (2010) which legally requires Pharmacies to make reasonable adjustments if appropriate. Reasonable adjustments can include: use of large print labels, provision of non-clicklock caps, medication reminder charts, dosette boxes.

Are dosette boxes free?

Historically dosette boxes were supplied free of charge to anyone requesting one but this became unsustainable and too expensive for Pharmacies.

Now the only requirement for a dosette box to be supplied free of charge is if you qualify under the Equality Act (2010) and if a dosette box is deemed the most appropriate reasonable adjustment by the Community Pharmacist.

To qualify under the Equality Act (2010) for a reasonable adjustment, a person is regarded as having a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out day to day activities. Additionally, the impairment must be either long term (lasted more than 12 months) or is likely to last more than 12 months or for the rest of the person’s life (for example multiple sclerosis). ¹

For those who do not qualify under the Equality Act (2010), Community Pharmacies can decide to charge for the supply of a dosette box as a ‘private transaction’ or may not offer this as a private service. This fee varies between participating Pharmacies and is beyond the GP Practice’s control.

My Pharmacy says “We do not do dosette boxes”

As detailed above, Pharmacies are legally obliged to make reasonable adjustments for those who qualify under the Equality Act (2010). Pharmacies are therefore responsible for completing an assessment for you if a medicine compliance need has been identified to determine whether you qualify.

Pharmacies should not say they do not do dosette boxes as a blanket rule without any individual assessment. If this is happening, you should address this legal obligation with the Responsible Pharmacist/ Pharmacy Manager at the branch or head office.

My Pharmacy has stopped my dosette box- what do I do?

The Pharmacist should have assessed your situation to determine whether you qualify under the Equality Act (2010) for any reasonable adjustments before stopping your dosette box. If this has not happened, you should request this assessment from your Community Pharmacist.

If you do not qualify under the Equality Act for a free dosette box, your Pharmacist should advise you about alternative ways to manage your medicines or may offer you a dosette box and charge for this as part of a private service.

Do I need to have weekly prescriptions for a dosette box?

You do not need weekly prescriptions for a dosette. It costs the NHS 4 times as much in dispensing fees when supplying weekly prescriptions to Pharmacies compared to supplying them monthly and  increases GP workload. Weekly prescribing is only ever actioned by a GP on clinical grounds only for the safe medical care of a patient.

GP practices will not be amending prescriptions to 7 days on the request of a patient or pharmacy for any reason. This decision is reserved for the GP to make as above. Community Pharmacies are required to supply medicines for whatever duration is specified by your GP. If you do not qualify under the Equality Act and a Pharmacy decides to charge for 28 day prescriptions but not 7 day prescriptions, this is up to them as a business. Unfortunately it is not the responsibility of the GP Practice to make this free by making this an expense to the NHS and Pharmacies should not be encouraging us to do this.

Will my dosette box be delivered?

This depends on the Pharmacy. Please contact or visit your pharmacy to discuss your dispensing and collection or delivery needs and the arrangements they can make to accommodate this.

Complaints

If you don’t feel that you have been assessed in the way that has been described or you have any questions or concerns about the arrangements made, please contact your Community Pharmacy and ask to speak to the Lead Pharmacist or Pharmacy Manager. You can also ask about your Community Pharmacy about their Complaints Procedure but this should remain a last resort.

Please remember the role of your GP Practice is Prescribing safely, appropriately and in a timely manner. The role of your Community Pharmacy is safe dispensing and making sure the medication is received by the patient appropriately and in a timely manner. We have separate roles but both work together as with all other community services for the benefit of our patients. Any complaint should go to the appropriate service provider.

Out of hours medicines

There is of course a huge range of useful non-prescription medicines available at pharmacists, but if you run out of a regular prescription medicines you can obtain a supply out of hours without a prescription from a pharmacist or other source so you should never be without – this could be dangerous.

There are a selection of local pharmacies that will be open late.

Jade pharmacy (Kingsbury) and travel clinic

533 Kingsbury Road

Phone
020 8204 8651

Closes at 7pm.

Out of hours emergency contraception

There are a variety of methods available, but it is essential you use it as soon as possible after the event for best results.

You can get the emergency contraceptive pill and the IUD for free from:

• GP – we will always fit you in urgently, please ask at reception.
• Find sexual health services
• Some young people’s clinics – phone 0800 567123

You can also get the emergency contraceptive pill free from:

• Some pharmacies (find pharmacies near you)
• Most NHS walk-in centres and minor injuries units 
• Some Accident and Emergency departments

Over the counter

Many excellent and important medicines are available over the counter (OTC) at pharmacies. They do not need to be prescribed by a doctor and indeed you can save yourself a lot of money as many are cheaper than the prescription charge.

Private prescriptions

Private prescriptions from another doctor should normally be cashed at a pharmacy. We are not obliged to convert these to NHS prescriptions. Once you are established on the medicines, we can provide repeat prescriptions on the NHS as normal, provided we have received written information from that doctor and that we judge the prescription is appropriate. Some prescriptions may be for medication which is not in our practice drug formulary and we may substitute it for something similar.

Hospital outpatient prescriptions

These are commonly given as requests to the GP to prescribe, though sometimes the prescription will be intended for dispensing at the hospital pharmacy, especially if the need is urgent or the drugs are for hospital supply only.

Synchronising medicines

Ask us to help synchronise your medicines so you can request them all in one go.

Certain medicines such as the contraceptive pill or HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) can be supplied in 6 month quantities for your convenience but to do this the nurse or doctor may need to see you.

Non-repeat medicines, which you may have only occasionally, can be requested on a medication request form or on-line request but we may ask to see you.

Medications abroad

Taking your medication abroad may require you to take a letter of authorisation with you, even in Europe. Every country has its own rules and it can be complex. Make sure you check in good time.

Prescribing wisely

The NHS in NW London CCGs: Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster spent over £13 million in 2016 on products that can be bought without a prescription at community pharmacies.

The NHS is under pressure. Our budgets are not large enough to pay for all the treatments the public would like us to provide. We would therefore like to spend less on medicines you can buy without a prescription to free up funds for other valuable NHS services.

Practices across North West London are being asked to stop routinely prescribing medicines which are available to buy over the counter in pharmacies (and, in the case of some medicines, in supermarkets and other shops too). If a medicine you need can be bought without a prescription, your GP may ask if you are willing to buy it.  If you are not willing to buy it, it will be prescribed.

Collecting your prescription

You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.

You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:

• on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
• at the surgery or use our eConsult service
• at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions

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 Medicines A to Z (nhs.uk)

If you would like to speak to someone at the GP surgery about your prescription:

• use our eConsult service

Medication reviews

Medication reviews are needed, usually every 6 or 12 months and we shall ask you to make an appointment with the doctor or nurse. There are certain important checks we need to perform to ensure your medicines are still doing their job and are not causing any problems and that your condition is monitored. When the computer indicates a review is due, please do not delay as the computer blocks any further issues once you are overdue. If you have been unable to come in time, please never stop your medicines; let us know the circumstances and we shall issue a prescription to keep you going.

Prescription charges

Find out more about prescription charges (nhs.uk).

What to do with old medicines

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.

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 (nhs.uk)

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

Most pharmacies have a private room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff.