Your Repeat Medication
If you need regular medication and your doctor does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with ‘repeat prescription’.
If you are on regular medication you may be suitable for serial prescribing please contact the Practice to discuss.
A serial prescription looks like your normal prescription but is issued by your GP Practice for 24, 48 or 56 weeks. It will be issued in regular intervals, (usually 8 weeks) by your chosen pharmacy. This will be dispensed by the pharmacy when it is due and will be ready for you to collect before you run out of medication, there is no need to contact the GP Practice or order your medication. Your chosen Pharmacy will make contact with the Practice when a new serial prescription is due and if required you will be contacted by the Practice Pharmacotherapy Team for a review of your medication.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran has agreed to move to a standardised time frame for ordering of repeat prescriptions. Our clinicians prescribe and dispense around 9 million prescription items each year. This seven day turn around will ensure they have the required time to undertake necessary checks to ensure the safe prescribing and dispensing of your medicines.
This change will commence on Monday 20th February 2023. We are asking for support from our citizens to do the following:
- Please now allow seven days from initially ordering your repeat prescription to collecting your medication at your community pharmacy
- Order all of your required prescription items at the same time.
- If you are on regular medication for a long term condition ask your GP practice or community pharmacy if a serial (longer term) prescription would be suitable for you.
Medicines are NOT in short supply. Please only order the medicines that you need from your GP practice. Do not order all of your medicines automatically every time. Please tell the practice which pharmacy you wish to collect medicines from. GPs and Community Pharmacies will work together to ensure you get your medicines when they are due. Pharmacies are extremely busy, please allow at least SEVEN days from ordering your medicine to collection from the Community Pharmacy.
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms (new continuous cough, fever, shortness of breath) or had contact with someone with corona virus DO NOT go to your Community Pharmacy. Stay at home and self-isolate. Please ask someone else to collect your medicines
It is easier and quicker to request repeat prescriptions via our online service. Simply log in and select an option.
Please allow at least 72 hours (3 working days) before your prescription will be ready to collect. Your medication may take longer to be processed by the pharmacy. Please allow extra time for weekends and Public Holidays.
Not yet registered for Patient Access?
To request medication without the requirement to log on to Patient Access, you can request your Repeat medication by selecting the Repeat Prescription Request button.
In the very near future the function to request repeat medication will no longer be available. Please register for patient access above or ask reception regarding serial prescribing.
Patient Access to register you require a unique PIN CODE from the practice.
Please email Riverside Medical Practice to request this information, the PIN CODE is unique to you only, each family member requires separate log in details.
Patient access allows you to view all items on your repeats including last issue dates at your own convenience.
Forgot to request a repeat Prescription?
If you forget to request a repeat prescription
If you forget to obtain a prescription for repeat medication and thus run out of important medicines, you may be able to get help from your Pharmacy. Under the Urgent Provision of Repeat Medication Service, Pharmacists may be able to supply you with a further cycle of a previously repeated medicine, without having to get a prescription from your GP.
If you have run out of important medication, telephone your usual Pharmacy to check that they offer this service; if they don’t, they may either direct you to another Pharmacy who does provide it, or ask you to phone 111 where you can request details of a local Pharmacy that provides the service.
You must then take with you to the relevant Pharmacy, proof of both your identification and of your medication (for example, your repeat prescription list or the empty box which should have your details printed on it). Please note that controlled drugs and antibiotics are not provided through this service, you will need to ring 111 for these.
If you receive stoma products from your Pharmacy or other supplier and/or receive items such as continence products, please ensure you have sufficient supplies as you may encounter difficulties in obtaining these over Bank Holidays, or when the Surgery is closed.
How to order your medication
By post
You can post your prescription slip or written request to us at the Practice. You must include a stamped addressed envelope for return by post if you will not be able to pick up your prescription from the Surgery (please allow extra time for any possible delays with the postal service).
In person
You can order in person by returning the right-hand half of a previous prescription for the required medications, or by submitting a handwritten request. Due to COVID-19 regulations we would request that patients order online where they can or telephone the prescription request line.
Pharmacy ordering/collection service
Pharmacies offer a prescription collection service from our Practice. They can also order your medication on your behalf. This saves you time and unnecessary visits to the Practice. Please contact the Pharmacy of your choice for more information if you wish to use this service.
Telephone
We accept requests for repeat prescriptions by telephone. Please phone 01292 532509.
Additional information
Chronic Medication Service
The NHS Chronic Medication Service is a voluntary service for people with long-term conditions. It’s available at all community pharmacies across Scotland.
You can only use this service if you’ve registered with a community pharmacy.
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.
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 (special requests)
Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute ‘or “special” 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.
Strong painkillers and driving
You may have noticed that the label on your painkiller medicine says: “May cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.”
Your doctor or nurse may also have discussed side effects of your painkillers with you.gen
Strong painkillers (or opioids) affect each person in a different way. They can make some people drowsy and reactions can be slower than usual. This may be worse if you take other medicines that cause drowsiness or if you drink alcohol. If you are someone who drives you may be wondering if it is safe for you to drive. The following information will help you to decide.
- You must not drive if you feel sleepy
- You must not drive after drinking alcohol or taking strong drugs which have not been prescribed or recommended by your doctor for example, cannabis.
- You must not drive if you start taking other drugs that cause sleepiness, either prescribed by your doctor or bought from the chemist for example, hay fever medicine.
- You must not drive on days where you have had to take extra (breakthrough or rescue) doses of a strong painkiller.