At this surgery we offer several ways for you to order your repeat medications 

• Online  - this can be done via the link at the top of this page. This is the quickest way to receive your repeat medications as it is retrieved by our in house pharmacist and sent electronically to your chosen pharmacy ready for you to collect in 48 hours. To obtain an on-line account you will need to bring in some photo ID so reception can issue you a username and password.
  
  For more information regarding ordering prescriptions please click here
• By hand - tick off the selected items on your repeat prescription request slip which you will find attached to your prescription or complete a blank repeat prescription request slip and leave it in the prescription box near the reception. Your prescription will be sent electronically to your chosen pharmacy ready for you to collect in 48 hours
• By post – enclosing a stamped addressed envelope if you want it posted back to you.

If you have made an agreement with one of our local chemists to deliver your medication to your home then please enter a note at the foot of the request so that reception staff know to pass the script to the chemist concerned. Please not that this arrangement is only for patients that are housebound or are disabled. You must come to an agreement with your local chemist yourself.

It is very helpful for us if you could leave a daytime contact telephone number with your request so as we can contact you to discuss any queries we may have regarding your request.

Only items which have previously been deemed available on repeat can be ordered without the need to speak to a GP. Unless the item is available on repeat it cannot be issued. For example antibiotics are not available as repeats. Similarly, various pain killers or creams that were given in the past for conditions may not have been deemed necessary or suitable to be put on the repeat list, so it is not always possible to order these. If you are in any doubt please contact the surgery.

Please do not request your medication too far in advance of your current batch running out. We tend to issue three months supply at a time for chronic conditions.  This is because your health and medication requirements may change and will need reviewing before issue.

We do not accept repeat prescriptions over the telephone. This is because medications names, duration and quantities can be complicated and mis-heard and we want to avoid mistakes and keep you as safe as possible.

To keep you safe we will continously review your medications on a regular basis to ensure that our patients receive appropriate medications based on your latest and required review and the latest evidence. Previously recommended treatment can sometimes change.

Patients on repeat medication will be asked to 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 book an appropriate appointment to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions.

If you do not attend the review your condition may have changed and it may be unsafe to continue to issue you with repeat medications that may not be right for you.

Help with NHS costs

In England, around 90% of prescription items are dispensed free. This includes exemptions from charging for those on low incomes, such as:

• those on specific benefits or through the NHS Low Income Scheme
• those who are age exempt
• those with certain medical conditions
• More information is available at NHS Choices

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

• Prescription (per item): £9.65
• 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60
• 3-month PPC: £31.25

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

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

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website.

Northend Medical Centre where ever possible will always prescribe medicine using their generic names, rather than the brand name, unless there are special circumstances as stated below. NHS GPs are encouraged to prescribe medicines by their generic name. This is because generic medicines are usually as effective as the branded versions, but can cost up to 80% less. The National Health Service is paid for by the taxes you pay. The NHS has a duty to use that money wisely and effectively – to make sure we provide the most care for the best value. The NHS uses the term “cost effectiveness”. That doesn’t mean cheap is always best. An expensive drug that works is more cost effective than a cheap one that doesn’t. But if two drugs do the same thing the cheaper one is more cost effective, i.e. a better buy. This frees up NHS resources to pay for other treatments. It also gives the pharmacist the widest choice of products to dispense. This can be important, particularly if there is a shortage of a particular product.

Switching to a generic medicine

If your prescriber changes your regular prescription from a branded medicine to a generic version, they will tell you about the change before you collect your prescription. This is to ensure you understand that although your medicine may have a different name, it will still contain the same active ingredient. Your pharmacist can also be a helpful source of information and advice when this happens. When you pick up your prescription, the medicine may look different and there will be a different name on the label. However, it will contain the same active ingredient as the medicine you used before.

Generic medicines with different activity

In rare cases, it is important for a patient to stay on the branded medicine previously prescribed for them, rather than changing to a generic medicine. In such cases, the branded medicine is the most suitable product. Some examples of when you should keep taking your brand of prescribed medicine, (NOT GENERIC) include:

• Epilepsy medicines – these should be treated with care because different versions may have slight differences in the way they are absorbed, which can cause big differences in their effect. For example, prescribers may decide the branded version of lamotrigine (Lamictal) is more suitable than the generic version.
• Modified-release preparations of medicines – such as modified-release versions of theophylline, nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil. A branded version may sometimes be a better option than the generic equivalent, as they can be absorbed differently.
• Biological medicines – these complex medicines are derived from proteins and other substances produced by the body. Copies of biological medicines, called biosimilars, can never be exactly the same so shouldn't be automatically used as substitutes. Doctors should always reference the brand name so the manufacturer and batch could be identified if there were any problems with the medicine.
• Ciclosporin – a medicine that suppresses the immune system (the body's natural defence system). Different branded versions may cause different levels of ciclosporin in your blood.
• Mesalazine – which is used to treat ulcerative colitis (a long-term condition that affects the colon). The way that mesalazine is absorbed varies between different brands.
• Lithium – this treats a number of mental health conditions. Different brands vary widely in terms of how much of the medicine is absorbed and becomes active.

Beclometasone dipropionate CFC-free inhalers to treat asthma – there are two inhalers that contain the same active substance (beclometasone dipropionate), but one is much stronger