Ordering repeat prescriptions
The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:
- using your NHS account (through the NHS website or in the NHS App)
- using the GP online system: SystmOnline
- submit a repeat prescription request through our online consultation service (Klinik)
These accounts show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.
You can also:
- drop off your repeat prescription slip at the post box located on the right-hand side of our main entrance
It is our policy to only accept written requests; telephone requests will be refused.
N.B You can view and print a list of your repeat prescriptions with an online services account.
Collecting your prescription
You can usually collect your prescription if ordered online within 3 working days after you have ordered it.
You can usually collect your prescription if a paper request has been submitted within 5 working days after you have ordered it.
You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.
You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:
- on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
- use the Klinik online service
- at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions
Dispensary
Dispensing of prescriptions is available for patients who reside in some of the surrounding villages. A list of such villages is available by contacting reception through Klinik.
Further dispensary information (PDF).
Questions about your prescription
If you have questions about your medicine, your local pharmacists can answer these. They can also answer questions on medicines you can buy without a prescription.
The NHS website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.
If you would like to speak to someone at the GP surgery about your prescription:
- use the Klinik online service
Medication reviews
We are keen to ensure that patients with ongoing medical problems are monitored regularly.
If you have been advised by the surgery that your medication review is due, please use our online Medication Review form or inform reception. This will allow the dispensary to arrange for a pharmacist to subsequently carry out a medication review – they may not need to call you to undertake this.
We will not leave you without your medication unless the clinical risk outweighs the benefit.
If you are unable to order medications online because of an overdue medication review, you can request your medications through our online consultation service (Klinik). If you are using SystmOnline, you can submit a custom request. This is located beneath the tick boxes where you would normally request your medication.
Drum reviews
You may be asked periodically to complete a short questionnaire regarding your medications and their usage. This information is used to provide better care for our patients as well as to flag any concerns for our doctors.
Prescription charges
Find out more about prescription charges. You can also find out if you are entitled to free prescriptions.
If you collect your medication from our practice and are not eligible for free prescriptions, you can pay by cash or card.
What to do with old medicines
Take it to the pharmacy you got it from or bring it in to the surgery. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.
About pharmacists
As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:
- coughs
- colds
- sore throats
- tummy trouble
- aches and pains
They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.
Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.
Most pharmacies have a private room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff.
Use of Benzodiazepines (and related medications) for flying
Diazepam in the UK is a Class C/Schedule IV controlled drug. The following short guide outlines the issues surrounding its use with regards to flying and why the surgery no longer prescribes such medications for this purpose.
People often come to us requesting the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam for fear of flying or assist with sleep during flights. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. There are a number of very good reasons why prescribing this drug is not recommended.
According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (British National Formulary) diazepam is contraindicated (not allowed) for treating phobias (fears). It also states that “the use of benzodiazepines to treat short-term ‘mild’ anxiety is inappropriate.” Your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.
Although plane emergencies are a rare occurrence, there are concerns about reduced awareness and reaction times for patients taking Diazepam, which could pose a significant risk to themselves and others due to not being able to react in a manner which could save their life in the event of an emergency on board necessitating evacuation.
The use of such sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at an increased risk of developing a blood clot (Deep Vein Thrombosis – DVT) in the leg or even the lungs. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours, the amount of time which has been shown to increase the risk of developing DVT whether in an aeroplane or elsewhere.
Whilst most people find Diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally which can pose a risk on the plane. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law. A similar effect can be seen with alcohol, which has led to people being removed from flights.
Diazepam and similar controlled drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated, or you may find yourself in trouble with the police. The passenger may also need to use a different strategy for the homeward-bound journey and/or other legs of the journey.
It is important to declare all medical conditions and medications you take to your travel insurer. If not, there is a risk of nullifying any insurance policy you may have.
Given the above, we will no longer be providing Diazepam or similar drugs for flight anxiety and instead suggest the below aviation industry-recommended flight anxiety courses.
Flight anxiety does not come under the remit of General Medical Services as defined in the GP contract, so we are not obliged to prescribe it. Patients who still wish to take benzodiazepines for flight anxiety are advised to consult with a private GP.
For further information:
https://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-assistance/flying-with-confidence