How to order your repeat prescriptions
- Use the GP online system Patient Access – your account shows all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need
- Fill out an online repeat prescriptions request form
- Bring the paper form to the surgery, during opening hours
We do not take repeat prescription requests over the phone unless by exception as approved by the GPs. Please order your repeat prescription in adequate time and allow at 7-10 days for it to be processed by the practice and collected/dispensed by the pharmacist.
Please do not telephone before this timescale to enquire if prescription is ready for collection. This will help keep our telephone lines free to book urgent house calls and appointments. Thank you for your cooperation.
Please note that the internet is not a secure medium. While your prescription request will be processed in strict confidence within our Practice, we cannot guarantee its security over the internet.
Special Request Prescriptions
Please note that special request prescriptions are dealt with differently by the practice and may not be ready at the same time for collection as your repeat prescriptions. Please use the repeat prescription request form for special requests.
Request prescription using GP online system
It is easier and quicker to manage request repeat prescriptions via our online service. Simply log in and select an option. We are aware there is an extra security measure now added before you get access to online prescription ordering.
There is now a requirement to download an Authenticator App.(this is free, do not purchase an App).
We appreciate the frustration this is causing patients. Please note we do not own the online prescription ordering system. We have no control over any of its requirements to log in. For access problems, please use the Technical support function on their website.
Login for Online Services Register for Online ServicesPlease note, this service is for patients aged 16+
Not registered for Online Services yet? Request medication without a log in with the Prescription Request Form.
Collecting your prescription
Repeat prescriptions are only given after they are agreed with the doctor and entered onto your repeat record. A minimum of 5 full working days is required for processing a prescription. Please allow extra time for weekends and public holidays.
You can usually collect your prescription from the pharmacy 3 to 5 working days after you have ordered it. This means that you do not have to come to the surgery to collect your prescription and then take it to a chemist.
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 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. You can also telephone the practice, if you have any specific queries regarding your request.
The NHS UK website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.
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.
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.
Order repeat prescriptions, and learn how pharmacists can help you with medicines and medical advice.
Non-urgent advice: Queries regarding Pharmacies
Conditions your pharmacy can advise you about
Your pharmacist can advise you about conditions such as:
Acne
Allergies
Athlete’s foot
Backache
Blocked or runny nose
Cold sores
Constipation
Cough
Cystitis (in women)
Diarrhoea
Earache
Eczema
Headache
Headlice
Haemorrhoids (piles)
Hay fever
Impetigo
Indigestion
Mouth ulcers
Pain
Period pain
Shingles
Some skin conditions such as cellulitis or insect bites
Sore throat
Threadworms
Thrush
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Verrucas
Warts
Additional Information
Medication reviews
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.
Reactions
Download the Yellow Card mobile app
Medicine Sick Day Rules
If you are in any doubt please contact your pharmacist, doctor or nurse.
Taking certain medicines when you are dehydrated or very unwell can result in you developing a more serious illness. This is because they can increase the risk of dehydration and lead to potentially serious side effects. This is known as Medicine Sick Day Rules. These medicines should be temporarily stopped if you are at risk of becoming dehydrated with any of the following:
Vomiting or diarrhoea (unless only minor)
Fevers, sweats or shaking
You can restart the medication after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. Do not take extra for missed doses.
Which medications should I stop?
ACE inhibitors: names ending in ‘pril’ – examples: lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
ARBs: names ending in ‘sartan’ – examples: losartan, candesartan, valsartan. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
Diuretics: sometimes called ‘water pills’ – examples: furosemide, bendroflumethiazide, indapamide, spironolactone. Used for excess fluid and high blood pressure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely.
NSAIDs: anti-inflammatory painkillers – examples: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
Metformin: a medicine for diabetes. Dehydration can make it more likely that you will develop a serious side effect called lactic acidosis.
SGLT2 inhibitors: names ending in ‘flozin’ – examples: canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin. A medication used in the treatment of Diabetes, Kidney disease or Heart Failure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely and if you have diabetes can cause acid to build up if you are unwell.
Which illnesses cause dehydration?
Dehydration is the loss of fluid from your body. Vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever (high temperature, sweats, shaking) can make you dehydrated. If you are sick once or have diarrhoea once, then you are unlikely to become dehydrated. Having two or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea can lead to dehydration: in these cases, you should consider following this advice.
What actions should I take?
If you develop a dehydrating illness, you should temporarily stop taking any medicine listed here, and any other medicine identified by your health professional. It is very important that you restart your medicine once you have recovered from the illness. This would normally be after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. When you restart your medicine, just take them as normal. Do not take extra for the doses you have missed.
Where can I find more information?
Diabetes when you are unwell
Acute Kidney Injury
Holiday medication
The NHS does accept responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to 3 months. However, if a person is going to be abroad for more than 3 months, then they are only entitled (at NHS expense) to a sufficient supply of regular medication in order to get to their destination, where they should then find an alternative supply of that medication.
Patients residing abroad for a period of more than 3 months should be removed from the registered patient list. Your GP is not responsible for prescribing medication required for conditions which may arise while travelling e.g. diarrhoea medicine, travel sickness, diazepam for anxious flyers.
Please visit: Fit For Travel for further information and guidance.
Cost effective prescribing
There are some things you can do to help us with this:
1) If you are receiving a prescription for medicine which you no longer take please let us know
2) If your prescription means that you accumulate large stocks of one item before you need the rest, please let us know
From time to time we may need to substitute one item on your repeat prescription for another. Sometimes this is done because a medicine is no longer available or has been upgraded. Sometimes it is because there is a similar medicine which is more cost effective. We will normally inform you if there is a change.
What to do with old medicines
Take it to the pharmacy you got it from. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.
Controlled drugs
Taking opiods for pain
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.
Further prescribing information and guidance
Antibiotics
Each year 25% of the population visit their GP for a respiratory tract infection (eg sinus, throat or chest infection). These are usually caused by viruses.
For patients who are otherwise healthy, antibiotics are not necessary for viral infections.
These infections will normally clear up by looking after yourself at home with rest, plenty of fluids and paracetamol.
- Ear infections typically last 4 days: 89% of cases clear up on their own
- A sore throat typically lasts 7 days: 40% of cases clear up after 3 days and 90% after 7 days without antibiotics
- Sinusitis typically lasts 17 days: 80% clear up in 14 days without antibiotics
- Cough/bronchitis typically lasts 21 days: Antibiotics reduce symptoms by only 1 day
Antibiotics only work for infections caused by bacteria.
Taking unnecessary antibiotics for viral infections should be avoided because they may not be effective next time you have a bacterial infection.
Generic named drugs
In accordance with NHS recommendations most prescriptions will have the generic name rather than the brand name. The effectiveness and safety of the generic preparation is identical to that of the brand name. If you are at all uncertain please check with us.
A generic drug or other product is one that does not have a trademark and that is known by a general name, rather than the manufacturer’s name.
Going Abroad?
If you are concerned about taking medication abroad you can visit your local community pharmacy who are well placed to provide the information that is needed, and can also advise on a wide range of travel-related health issues.
Information for patients requesting diazepam for a fear of flying
The Doctors have taken the decision not to prescribe diazepam in cases where the there is a fear of flying. There are a number of reasons for this that are set out below.
- Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
- Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours.
- Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number of people experience the opposite effect and may become aggressive. Benzodiazepines can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
- According to the national prescribing guidelines that doctors follow (the British National Formulary, or BNF) benzodiazepines are not allowed to be prescribed in cases of phobia. Thus your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing diazepam for fear of flying as it is going against these guidelines. Benzodiazepines are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
- Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
- Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.
Hospital and Community Requests
When you are discharged from Hospital you should normally receive seven days supply of medication.
On receipt of your discharge medication, which will be issued to you by the Hospital, please contact the Surgery to provide them with this information before your supply of medication has run out.
Hospital requests for change of medication will be checked by a prescribing clinician first, and if necessary a prescribing clinician will provide you with a prescription on request.
Medicines in Scotland: What’s the right treatment for me?
Medicines requested by Hospital Specialists
Specialists will often suggest particular medication at a hospital appointment and ask us to prescribe for you. To ensure your safety we do need to receive written information from the specialist before prescribing. Sometimes a medicine is suggested that is not in our local formulary. There is nearly always a close alternative, and specialists are told that we sometimes make suitable substitutions when you are referred. We will always let you know if this is the case.
Medicines, Care and Review Service
The NHS Medicines, Care and Review Service is a voluntary service for people with long-term conditions. It’s available at all community pharmacies across Scotland.
You can only use this service if you’ve registered with a community pharmacy.
Polypharmacy: Manage Medicines
You may have heard people referring to Polypharmacy. It means lots of medicines. A medicine review is particularly useful for people who take a lot of medicines; for these people their medicines review may be called a Polypharmacy Review.
Private Prescriptions
A GP in the surgery can only provide a private prescription if the medication is not available on the NHS.
A private prescription is not written on an official NHS prescription and so is not paid for by the NHS. A prescription is a legal document for which the doctor, who has issued and signed it, is responsible. A doctor you see privately is unable to issue an NHS prescription.
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.
Non-repeat items (acute requests)
Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute’ prescriptions are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription records. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period, and may require a review visit with your Doctor prior to the medication being added onto your repeat prescription records.
Some medications are recorded as acute as they require to be closely monitored by the Doctor. Examples include many anti-depressants, drugs of potential abuse or where the prescribing is subject to legal or clinical restrictions or special criteria. If this is the case with your medicine, you may not always be issued with a repeat prescription until you have consulted with your Doctor again.
Surgery Overseas
Regarding pre-operative and post-operative care from patients who are considering surgery abroad. The Scottish Government & NHS Scotland have issued the below guidance to all GP Practices in Scotland:
While the NHS in Scotland will always provide emergency care where necessary, all routine pre and post-operative care should be part of the package of care purchased by the individual patient.
- There will be no obligation on NHS Boards to provide such routine pre and post-operative care.
- In the event of a patient advising a healthcare professional of plans to travel overseas for privately arranged and purchased surgery, they should be advised firstly that this is not recommended, and secondly that there will be no obligation on their local NHS Board to provide routine pre and post-operative care. All care required should be provided within the package of care sold by the overseas provider.
Strong painkillers and driving
You may have noticed that the label on your painkiller medicine says: “May cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.”
Your doctor or nurse may also have discussed side effects of your painkillers with you.
Strong painkillers (or opioids) affect each person in a different way. They can make some people drowsy and reactions can be slower than usual. This may be worse if you take other medicines that cause drowsiness or if you drink alcohol. If you are someone who drives you may be wondering if it is safe for you to drive. The following information will help you to decide.
- You must not drive if you feel sleepy
- You must not drive after drinking alcohol or taking strong drugs which have not been prescribed or recommended by your doctor for example, cannabis.
- You must not drive if you start taking other drugs that cause sleepiness, either prescribed by your doctor or bought from the chemist for example, hay fever medicine.
- You must not drive on days where you have had to take extra (breakthrough or rescue) doses of a strong painkiller.
When on holiday in UK or living temporary outside the Practice area
If you are staying outside the practice area for holidays, work etc. we are unable to send prescriptions by post/email/fax. You should register with a practice as a temporary resident and request the medication. The Practice will contact us to confirm what medication you are currently being prescribed. Alternatively depending on your location some pharmacies may be able to provide the medication for you.
Help from your pharmacy
Did you know that your local pharmacy can help you with a lot of minor ailments?