Types of Prescription

Acute Prescriptions

Acute medications are medications that have been issued by your GP but not added to your repeat prescription list. This could be for several reasons, for example: it is a new medication that the GP needs to monitor for a period of time to ensure that it is appropriate before adding to repeat; it is a short-term medication that should not be needed regularly; or it is a high-risk medication that the GP wants to monitor more closely, thus is not appropriate for repeat prescribing.

If you wish to order a medication that is not on your repeat list, you can put a request for this to your doctor using our usual ordering methods (which are adding a message online, service or by paper request either handed into surgery or posted to us) however as it is not on your repeat there is no guarantee the doctor will issue this medication, or within the two full working day time frame; the decision to issue the medication is at your doctor’s discretion, and he or she may not be happy to do so.

You are advised to ring the pharmacy to see if the prescription has been done and sent there or ourselves to check the response to your request after at least three full working days. We do endeavour to get your prescription to you as efficiently as possible, but safe prescribing of medication is essential.

Please note we cannot process requests for acute antibiotics, as they are needed for acute conditions that will need to be reviewed by the doctor.

Repeat Prescriptions

Repeat medication are the medications the doctor has clinically assessed as stable long-term medications, and therefore appropriate to be added to your repeat medication list; Medications on this list are available for yourself or a trusted representative to order, you will need to order your medication with enough time to ensure you do not run out.

Repeat prescription requests take three full working days to process. You are able to order medication up to a week in advance; we allow ordering up to a week early for convenience, but it should not be regularly ordered early; if you repeatedly order your medication a week prior to it being due this will cause you to have excess medication, so if we notice this is happening regularly we may post-date your prescription to the date it is due to prevent over-use and/or NHS wastage. It is your responsibility to order your medication on time, the practice does not order on anyone’s behalf.

If you are going on holiday, you can request your medication early, please see our FAQs. Please also note we ask patients not to request repeat medication during a face to face or telephone consultation appointment as your clinician only has limited time during these consultations.

Repeat Dispensing (RD) Prescriptions

Repeat dispensing is an NHS repeatable prescription; the practice will send a prescription of your repeat medication(s) with a specific amount of issues, this will allow the pharmacy you choose to issue this prescription more than once (as many times as specified).

Essentially it is the equivalent to sending multiple prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice for them to dispense at the appropriate intervals. This system is in place for long-term, stable medication so that you do not need to order it every month.

It is the GPs clinical decision that dictates what medication is appropriate for RD, if you think you may qualify and would like to go onto Repeat Dispensing, please query with the prescription team who will be able to ask the doctor for you. Acute medications like pain killers, creams, etc. are not generally put onto RD.

When the pharmacy dispense the last issue from your RD prescription they should inform you that you will need to re-order it, using any of the usual methods

Information

Click here to order Repeat Medications online
Patient instructions for ordering repeat medication online
NMC Guide to Ordering Prescriptions Booklet
NMC Over The Counter Medication Information
Click here for more Over The Counter Medication information

IMPORTANT Information for Patients - FRAUD REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

BE AWARE of non-NHS repeat prescription services.
We are aware that repeat prescription services that are not legitimate NHS services are currently being advertised. Be cautious if an individual offers to pick up your prescription for you at a cost.

Any advertisement for a legitimate NHS service offering repeat prescription service will display the NHS logo and the contact details of the organisation(s) providing this. If you have any questions or concerns about a service that you have seen advertised in your local area, please check with the County Durham and Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), please ring 01642 746909.
For more information click here