Repeat Prescriptions

From 28th October 2024 repeat medication will take 72 hours (three working days) to process.

Patients on long-term medication can ask for their repeat medications in a number of ways:

• In person - place your repeat prescription slip in the repeat prescription box near the reception desk with the medication you need clearly marked.
• By post - send it to us with a stamped addressed envelope if you want us to post it back to you.
• By email - Send your name, DOB and details of your medication request to weavervale.prescriptions@nhs.net
• On-line - Register for on-line access and order your repeat medication on-line.

We do not accept requests for prescriptions over the telephone as mistakes can be made and it also blocks telephone lines which may be needed in emergencies.

Prescriptions handed in before 4pm will be ready, after 4pm, three full working days later.  Please remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account. 

             Prescription handed in before 4pm on:          Will be ready after 4pm on

                          Monday                                 -                   Thursday

                          Tuesday                                 -                   Friday

                          Wednesday                            -                    Monday

                          Thursday                               -                   Tuesday

                          Friday, Saturday, Sunday        -                   Wednesday

Please note that items will only be issued within 3 working days if they are included on your REPEAT prescription and a medication review is not pending.

Requests for ACUTE items (something you don’t have all the time) may take longer to process. You will be required to provide the medical reason for ordering these medications.  This will assist the process as delays will occur if the doctor does not know why you are taking the medication.

Urgent Medication Requests

The only medications that we guarantee will be issued as urgent on the day are the following : insulin, inhalers, epipen, anti-epileptic drugs, addisons, contraception, GPT spray, cardiac medication and drugs for patients with a terminal illness.  The cut off for requesting urgent medication is 4pm, any medications requests after this time will be processed the next day, any medication which does not meet the above criteria will be processed following the normal practice prescription procedure

Urgent prescription requests are not requests for medication which have been ordered late. It is your responsibility to ensure that your repeat prescription request is ordered in plenty of time.

Travelling Abroad with Medication

Many patients contact us for advice about travelling abroad with their medications. There are rules and regulation concerning this and we have produced this document to inform you about the sorts of things you need to consider. 

Please look at the NHS choices website about travelling with regular medications:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1074.aspx?CategoryID=70

If you are travelling with controlled drugs, for example tramadol, methylphenidate (Ritalin), morphine, oxycodone (Longtec), diazepam, temazepam and zopiclone, there are further regulations and you may need to apply for a licence

Please visit the government website below:

https://www.gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs

You will need to have a letter from your GP about your medication. Please complete an application form and pass it to a member of reception staff. You should ensure that you allow up to 28 days for the letter to be prepared.

Please note there will be a £15 charge for the letter as this is not an NHS service.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

There are arrangements in place to help patients who may have difficulty paying NHS charges such as prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs.

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which the Government thinks is a fair charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need a lot of medication regularly

NHS charges

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

• Prescription (per item): £9.65 as at April 2019
• 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 15 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

Please allow 48 hours, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, for your request to be processed. Any problems please telephone the surgery.

Changes to Repeat Prescriptions Ordering from September 2017

What is changing?

From September 2017, we will only accept requests for repeat prescriptions from you, your carer or a family member/friend (apart from in exceptional circumstances by arrangement).

If your medicine is currently ordered for you by your pharmacy you will need to order it directly from your GP practice.

If your pharmacy picks up your prescription from the practice or delivers your prescription to your home or if your prescription goes electronically to your chosen pharmacist, this will continue to happen.

How can I order my repeat prescription?

You can order a repeat prescription by:

• Patient Access Online – You can order your prescriptions on- line on your desktop, laptop or mobile. If you are not already registered for on-line access we at the practice can help you set this up. To register click here
• Once registered, you can also order your medication via the Patient Access Mobile App. This is a free app available on Android and IOS that can be downloaded from the App Store by searching ‘Patient Access’.
• Drop off or post the tick slip - This is the right-hand side of your prescription, selecting only the items you need. If you don’t have your slip please put your request in writing listing the medications you require.

How will I know if this affects me?

If you have been identified as having at least one medicine that is a repeat prescription you will receive a letter in July 2017. The letter will explain why this is happening, the ways that you can order your prescription and who to contact if you need any further support or information.

Is anyone exempt from this?

There are a number of patients who order a repeat prescription, who are exempt from this new process of ordering repeat prescriptions.

These include:

• Patients on blister packs
• Patients in Care Homes

Why is this happening?  Over-ordering, stockpiling and unused medicines cost the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds every year. Medicines waste is estimated to cost the NHS Halton over £700,000 every year. This money can be used to fund other vital health care services in Halton.

What do I need to do?  If you do currently have your prescriptions ordered by your pharmacy from September 2017 onwards you will need to arrange how to order them directly from your GP practice using one of the methods detailed above.  

If you need support with registering for on-line ordering (Patient Access) or you have any other concerns about these changes please contact the practice.

If your repeat prescriptions are not currently ordered by your pharmacy these changes will not affect you and no action is necessary.

When patients order their own prescriptions this is safer and reduces waste. Ordering your repeat prescription directly from your practice will enable you to only order what you need as and when you need it. This will mean your GP can better monitor the medicines that you do and do not use and will help discussions about choosing the right medication

Acute prescription pharmacy waiting times.

• Boots Hallwood Health Centre: to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival, if patient is concerned of wait times to call beforehand and pharmacy will advise when to collect.

• Boots Halton Lea: request that patient’s wait a couple of hours before presenting to collect prescription.

• Boots High Street: to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.

• Boots Castlefields: pharmacy preference to call before presenting and will give patient a time to collect otherwise to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.

• Boots Warrington: to collect the following day.

• Asda: pharmacy preference to call before presenting and will give patient a time to collect otherwise to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival

• Murdishaw: to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.

• Peak: pharmacy preference to call before presenting and will give patient a time to collect otherwise to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.

• Superdrug: request that patient’s wait a couple of hours before presenting to collect prescription.

• Well: to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.

• Wise Windmill Hill: request that patient’s wait a couple of hours before presenting to collect prescription.

• Wise Jenson: Delivery service, patients are unable to present at this pharmacy, but they will deliver antibiotics etc to patients on the same day if drivers available.

• Wise Halton Brook: to send patients straight to pharmacy, prescription will be processed on arrival.