Repeat Medication & Prescriptions

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 They will look at your account to diagnose the issues and may need to re-set your account at their end. They may tell you that you need to contact the surgery to re-set your pin/account after they have done this.

By keeping your medication regularly updated and reviewed, you can be sure that your medications are working as they should. In some cases, it may be that you no longer need to take medication, or it could be necessary to reduce or increase the amount that you are taking.

Patients on long-term medication are advised to consult with their surgery at least twice a year regarding their medication and you will be reminded by the surgery when this is due.

If you are on regular, stable medication then the surgery may be willing to give you 2 months’ worth of medication at a time, however this will be decided by your prescribing clinician and will likely be reduced if you do not attend your medication reviews as requested by the surgery.

If your medicines run out at different times and you would like them to be synchronised so you only have to order and collect them once, please fill out this form: Medication-Syncronisation-Form [SHS 2020] and return it to bruton.surgery@nhs.net with your next request.

Extensive exemption and remission arrangements protect those likely to have difficulty in paying charges (NHS Prescriptions and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs).

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines.  

Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.

NHS charges

As of 1 April 2021, the charges are:

• Prescription (per item): £9.35
• 12-month prescription prepayment certificate (PPC): £108.10
• 3-month PPC: £30.25

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.  The charge for a single prescription item is £9.35, whereas a three month PPC will cost you £30.25 and a 12 month PPC £108.10.

• PPC telephone advice and order line 0300 330 1341
• General Public - Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

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

We work hard as an organisation to prevent any wasted drugs and try to use our available funding to support patients with the most need. You can obtain good advice and support, as well as purchase drugs from local pharmacies.  Many products are cheap to buy and are readily available from pharmacies, as well as shops and supermarkets (which are often open until late).

In some circumstances your doctor can still prescribe these medicines on the NHS if they believe a true clinical need exists.

For more information from the National Health Service on conditions, treatments, local services and healthy living please visit the NHS Choices and Self Care Forum websites.

The type of treatment that may be available from the pharmacy is as follows:

• painkillers for minor aches and pains.
• Soluble pain killers (because of high salt content)
• Hay fever preparations
• Cough and cold remedies
• Nasal decongestants (and Sterimar)
• Tonic, vitamin, and health supplements
• Antiperspirants
• Homeopathic remedies
• Treatments for non-serious constipation or diarrhoea
• Ear wax removers (a few drops of olive oil is just as good as anything on prescription)
• Treatments for minor facial spots
• Threadworm tablets
• Lozenges, throat sprays, mouthwashes, gargles and toothpastes
• Slimming preparations (except within national guidelines)
• Creams, gels, oils and dressings for minor sprains, sports injuries and scars
• Indigestion remedies for occasional use
• Creams for bruising, tattoos, varicose veins and scars
• Nappy rash barrier creams
• Hair removing creams
• Head lice lotions and shampoos (wet combing is recommended)
• Athletes’ foot creams and powders
• Topical treatments for vaginal thrush
• Treatments for fungal nail infections
• Moisturisers and bath additives for minor dry skin conditions
• Travel medicines
• Foods and toilet preparations except where clinically indicated e.g. gluten-free cakes, cake mixes & luxury biscuits; sip feeds; ready-made thickened juices; soya milks and sun creams

Source: Prescribing in General Practice (BMA, April 2018)

Am I right, that as an NHS patient my GP must prescribe for me whatever I want?

Under the NHS regulations, your GP must prescribe for you any drugs that he or she feels are needed for your medical care.  A patient is entitled to drugs that the GP believes are necessary, not those which the patient feels should be prescribed.  GPs are responsible for all prescribing decisions they make and for any consequent monitoring that is needed as a result of the prescription given.

The Department of Health lists all drugs that the NHS is prepared to pay for in a list called the Drug Tariff.  It is likely that most, if not all, the drugs you need are available through the NHS, however the Drug Tariff does have exceptions.  Some drugs, listed in Schedule 11 will only be offered on the NHS to patients suffering from specified conditions.  Similarly, some produces other than drugs such as gluten free foods or sunblocks, are listed as 'Borderline Substances' and may only be prescribed at NHS expense in defined circumstances.  Other drugs or substances, listed in Schedule 10, cannot be prescribed at all on the NHS; this includes Evening Primrose Oil, many vitamins, bath preparations, cough syrups and expensive brand names of some drugs.

If a drug is not available on the NHS, can my GP write me a private prescription for it?

Any doctor can write a private prescription for that prescribing decision.  Under the NHS regulations, a GP or their deputy can write a private prescription for a patient but cannot charge the patient for writing a private prescription if the patient is registered for NHS care with that GP or any other GP in the same practice.

The only exceptions to this rule are when an NHS GP writes either a private prescription for:

• drugs which are being issued solely in anticipation of the onset of an ailment whilst outside the UK, but for which the patient does not require treatment when the medicine is prescribed
• drugs issued for the prevention of Malaria.

Can my GP supply me with drugs directly rather than going to a pharmacist?

The supply of drugs in the NHS is highly regulated. NHS prescriptions must be dispensed at pharmacies except where a doctor has been granted permission to be a dispensing doctor. This is most likely to happen when there are few, if any, pharmacies in a rural or semi-rural area. The area is then known as a ‘Controlled Area’ and a dispensing doctor is allowed to supply drugs to named patients who live more than one mile from a pharmacy. Many dispensing doctors can only dispense to some of their patients depending on the position of a pharmacy. All patients have the right to
take their prescription to a pharmacy of their choice if they wish to do so.

Malaria chemoprophylaxis - The Department of Health has issued guidance that medication for malaria prophylaxis may not be reimbursed under the NHS and so this should be prescribed privately. A GP may make a charge for the provision of prescriptions for malaria tablets if these are not available ‘over the counter’ at a pharmacy.

A GP, even a dispensing GP, is not allowed to sell any ‘over the counter’ medicines.

Can my GP refuse to give me a prescription that my consultant asked them to provide?

Yes, your GP may refuse because the person who signs the prescription is legally liable for the prescribing and the consequent effects of that drug.  Some drugs which may be very familiar to consultants in a specialised area of medicine can be potent drugs of which a GP will have little experience (for example many cancer drugs or specialised treatment for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis – the group called ‘biologicals’).  Where a GP considers that it is inappropriate for them to issue a prescription on the advice of a third party, responsibility for provision will rest with the doctor making the recommendation.

A friend’s GP wrote them a similar prescription on a consultant’s advice, why won’t mine? I think this is discriminatory.

Each GP will make prescribing decisions based on what they are or are not prepared to take clinical responsibility for. Some doctors might have special training or knowledge of a particular area of medicine which makes them comfortable to prescribe and monitor a drug where many GPs would not.

Clearly, a GP should be aware of their limitations as well as their skills and must ensure that they are not prescribing beyond their knowledge or their ability to ensure patient safety. GPs are not obliged to provide every possible medical service to their patients, only those for which they have been contracted for, and these contracting arrangements may vary between practices.

What is a shared care agreement?

Sometimes the care of a patient is shared between the two doctors, usually a GP and a specialist. There should be a formalised written agreement/protocol setting out the position of each, to which both parties have willingly agreed, which is known as an ‘shared care agreement’.

It is important that patients are involved in decisions to share care and are clear about what arrangements are in place to ensure safe prescribing. In some cases, a GP may decline to participate in a shared care agreement if he or she considers it to be inappropriate. In such circumstances the consultant would take full responsibility for prescribing and any necessary monitoring. Guidance covering these issues (Responsibility for prescribing between primary and secondary/tertiary care) was published in 2018 on the NHS England website.

I live abroad for six months of the year and my GP has refused to give me a prescription.

The NHS accepts responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to three months. If a person is going to be abroad for more than three months then only a sufficient supply of his/her regular medication should be provided to enable them to get to the destination and find an alternative supply. NHS prescriptions must never be obtained by relatives or friends on behalf of patients who are currently abroad, irrespective of such factors as owning a house in the UK or paying UK taxes. Patients are responsible for ensuring that any drugs they take into a country conform to local laws.