Prescriptions

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.

These charges apply in England only.   In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

• As of now, the current Prescription charge (per item): £9.90, but please follow this link for the accurate information –https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions/nhs-prescription-charges/
• 3-month PPC: £32.05
• 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £114.50, but please follow this link for the accurate information –https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions/save-money-with-a-prescription-prepayment-certificate-ppc/

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

• PPC Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
• General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

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.

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 consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It is well worth keeping a small stock of useful medicines at home in your (locked) first aid cupboard. For instance, pain killers (analgesics) such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or aspirin (children under 16 and people with asthma should not take aspirin), or Ibuprofen syrups  for children, Mild laxatives, Antidiarrheal medicines, Indigestion remedy (for example, antacids) Travel sickness tablets, and Sunscreen – SPF 15 or higher Sunburn treatment (for example, calamine).

For more detail see NHS Direct Medicine Chest.

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 so as 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.

More details can be found here

Here is a list of commonly prescribed medicines which are available without a prescription

Many excellent and important medicines are available Over The Counter (OTC) at pharmacies. They do not 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.

Pharmacists are highly trained in giving sensible advice about self-help for minor illness, please ask them or take a look here.

There is of course a huge range of useful non-prescription medicines available at chemists, 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.

[Insert Local Pharmacy Name, Address, and Tele]

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.
• Your local Contraceptive clinic (find a clinic)
• A sexual health Clinic (find sexual health services)
• Some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
• Some young people’s clinics (call 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

We send your prescriptions direct to your chosen pharmacy instead of printing them out, so the pharmacy can get them ready for you without having to take the prescription along. All you have to do is ask the doctor, the receptionist or at the pharmacy. You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time.

It makes it easier to obtain your repeat prescriptions – just request them on-line (or in writing) and then collect the medicines from the pharmacy.

It is still important to see you from time to time to make sure all of your monitoring checks are up to date, so please take note of the messages we send that the pharmacist will pass on to you.

You can find information about EPS (in many languages) on the NHS UK information page.