Prescriptions

Repeat Prescription Request
Please use format day/month/year e.g. 12/05/1979

Prescription Items

Copy exactly the details from a prescription slip you have received from the practice.

Please note that items will only be dispensed if they are included in a prescription from the practice and a medication review is not pending.

Please Note: Special medication requests may not be authorised by the doctor.
Please arrange this with your pharmacy

Privacy Policy

This form collects your name, date of birth, email, other personal information and medical details. This is to confirm you are registered with the practice, to allow the practice team to contact you and also to update your medical records held by the practice and our partners in the NHS. Please read our Privacy Policy to discover how we protect and manage your submitted data.
Please note: For reasons of privacy this form will not store your details or medication request. There is no email acknowledgement with this service. Once you send this form a notification message will appear to indicate successful submission.
Your NHS, Your way. Download the NHS App.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If your medication is not shown in your repeats list on the app, DO NOT request these in the ‘Add notes for your GP surgery’ section. As per the warning on the app, these notes may not be seen or actioned. Please contact the surgery to request any non repeat medications you need.

NHS App

Download the NHS App, or open the NHS website in a web browser, to set up and log in to your NHS account. Owned and run by the NHS, your NHS account is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services online, including appointments, prescriptions and health record.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play
NHS App

Prescriptions

What is a Repeat Prescription?

If you need regular medication your GP is likely to authorise this on your records as a repeat prescription. This allows you to request further medication on a regular basis without having to see your GP each time.

When you need more medication you should make a repeat prescription request. We will then produce a new prescription for you which your GP will sign. Please allow 5 working days for us to do this so please make your request before your medication runs out.

When it is ready, you can collect your repeat prescription from the surgery – just ask at the reception desk. Alternatively, you can now have your prescription delivered electronically to any EPS pharmacy of your choice (including any of our local pharmacies). They will then prepare your medication for you to collect. See our Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) page for more information.

Some local pharmacies also offer a delivery service for elderly or housebound patients. Please contact them to find out more.

After some time, your GP will want to see you again to review your medication. You will be informed about this by a note attached to your repeat prescription. You will need to book an appointment with your GP to review your medication before making any further repeat prescription requests.

If you are taking Warfarin and wish for a repeat prescription, please view this information

Warfarin Prescriptions

As you know, if you are taking warfarin you need to have regular INR blood checks to make sure that the dose is right.
To ensure your safety and to make sure we are prescribing safely we need you to inform us of your latest INR blood test result and the date it was taken before we can issue your prescription.

Make sure that you

  • Write this information on written prescription requests
  • Give this information online when you order through our
  • website or online
  • Inform the pharmacist if you order through the chemist.

Unless we have this information we will not be able to prescribe warfarin as we must make sure we are doing this safely. For patients who do not have an artificial heart valve or do not have kidney problems you may wish to consider some of the newer blood thinning tablets. If so please make an appointment to discuss this with your doctor – you can read more on Anticoagulants

How Long Does a Repeat Prescription Take?

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) Repeat Prescription Requests

If you have requested an electronic repeat prescription please allow five working days for the completion of your repeat prescription.  If there is a public holiday, make sure you request your prescription in good time.

Paper Repeat Prescription Requests

Please allow five working days for the completion of your paper repeat prescription requests. If there is a public holiday, make sure you request your prescription in good time.

Private Prescriptions

Patients requesting that private prescriptions be changed to NHS prescriptions should be aware that they will be processed in the same timeframe as NHS prescriptions.

Your Repeat Medication

If you need regular medication and your doctor does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with a ‘repeat prescription’. When you collect a prescription you will see that it is perforated down the centre. The left-hand side is the actual prescription. The right-hand side (re-order slip) shows a list of medicines that you can request without booking an appointment to see a doctor. Please tear off this section (and keep it) before handing the prescription to the chemist for dispensing.

Run out or just about to run out of medication requests
Unfortunately a small minority of patients are repeatedly running out (or just about to run out) of their medication. Urgent requests of this nature cause a great deal of disruption to the smooth running of the practice. Please be aware that such requests will be questioned very carefully by the reception staff and may well be refused by the GP. A record is kept of such requests, and may well be refused by the GP.

How to order your medication

In person

You can order in person by returning the right-hand half of a previous prescription for the required medications. Please place your prescription request in the box at the reception desk.

Your request will be processed quicker if you use the NHS app.

Repeat Dispensing Service

In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), GPs and pharmacies are moving suitable patients to electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD). You might be suitable for eRD if you get regular or repeat medicines that don’t change. eRD means your GP can send your regular or repeat prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. You can then collect your medication from your pharmacy, or ask them to deliver it to your home. 

What eRD means for you

eRD allows your GP to send a series of repeat prescriptions to your pharmacy in one go, so there’s no need for you to order them each time. It’s reliable, secure and confidential. Your regular prescriptions are stored securely on the NHS database, so they’ll be ready at the pharmacy each time you need them.

How eRD can benefit you

If you get regular or repeat medicines, you might be suitable for eRD. Using eRD, you can: 

  • save time by avoiding unnecessary trips or calls to your GP every time you need to order a repeat prescription
  • order or cancel your repeat prescriptions online (if your GP practice offers this service)
  • pick up your repeat prescriptions directly from your pharmacy without having to visit your GP
  • spend less time waiting for your prescription in the pharmacy or GP practice, which means you can stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact when you need your repeat prescription during the coronavirus pandemic
  • save paper – you won’t need a paper prescription to collect your medicine from the pharmacy

How do I sign up for eRD?

It’s really easy to sign up for eRD – just ask your GP or pharmacist to set it up for you.

Telephone

We do not accept requests for repeat prescriptions by telephone. This prevents dangerous errors being made and leaves the telephone lines free for urgent matters.

Via a Local Pharmacy

You may also be able to request your repeat prescriptions via your local pharmacy. Ask at the pharmacy whether they are able to offer you this service. If so, you can then submit your request to them via telephone or in person, and they will pass on your request to us.

Local Pharmacies

Manor Pharmacy (Radlett)
347 Watling Street
Radlett
Herts
WD7 7LB
Tel. 01923 856695

Boots Pharmacy (Radlett)
363 Watling Street
Radlett
Herts
WD7 7LB
Tel. 01923 856288

Crown Pharmacy (Shenley)
18 Andrew Close
Shenley
Herts
WD7 9LP
Tel. 01923 855810

How Wood Pharmacy
16 How Wood
Park Street
St. Albans
Herts
AL2 2RA
Tel. 01727 872190

Other Pharmacies

Other pharmacies in your area can be found via the NHS service search web page or can be seen using the map below:

Additional information

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.

Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service 

In an emergency, when the surgery is closed, a pharmacist can supply repeat medications without a prescription if the pharmacist deems that there is an immediate need for the medicine.  

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.

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 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.

Medication reviews

The Doctors at the Practice regularly review the medication you are taking. This may involve changes to your tablets and is in accordance with current Health Authority policies. Please be reassured that this will not affect your treatment. We may sometimes call you in for a medication review and this may involve blood tests. It is very important that you attend these appointments, as it keeps you safe whilst taking medication.

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.

Over the Counter Medicines

A GP, nurse or pharmacist will generally not give you a prescription for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for a range of minor health conditions.

Prescribing over-the-counter medicines in nurseries and schools

GPs are often asked to prescribe over-the-counter medication to satisfy nurseries and schools. This is a misuse of GP time, and is not necessary.

Private Prescriptions

A GP in the surgery can only provide a private prescription if the medication is not available on the NHS.

We must have a letter from your private consultant before your GP can issue a private prescription.

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.

When on holiday in the 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.

Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both (STOMP)

STOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines.  STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life.

Your Home Medicine Cupboard

It is well worth keeping a small stock of useful medicines at home in your (locked) first aid cupboard. For instance, pain killers (analgesics) such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or aspirin (children under 16 and people with asthma should not take aspirin), or Ibuprofen syrups  for children, Mild laxatives, Anti-diarrhoeal medicines, Indigestion remedy (for example, antacids) Travel sickness tablets, and Sunscreen – SPF15 or higher Sunburn treatment (for example, calamine). For more detail see NHS UK Medicine Chest.