Prescriptions

The prescription team are available Monday to Friday between 9:30am – 12.30am.  They are available to speak to directly by calling them on 01223 364433 option 3.

Repeat Prescriptions and queries

ALLOW FIVE WORKING DAYS FOR PRESCRIPTIONS

Repeat prescriptions can be requested in the following ways:

• If you have access to your online account you can order online.
• Repeat slip ticked and posted into the prescription box on the front of the surgery.
• NHS App
• Emailing arburyroadprescriptions.team@nhs.net

Prescriptions will be sent to a chemist of your choice via the electronic prescribing service.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

Extensive exemption and remission arrangements protect those likely to have difficulty in paying charges (NHS prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs). The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount 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.

Current Prescription Charge – £9.65 per item 

Prescription Prepayment Certificates

If you know you’ll have to pay for a lot of NHS prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). A PPC covers all of your NHS prescriptions, including NHS dental prescriptions, no matter how many items you need.

There are two PPC options to choose from:

•  3 month PPC – costs £29.65 / will save you money if you need more than three prescribed items.
• 12 month PPC – costs £105.90 / will save you money if you need more than 12 prescribed items in a year

For more information or to order your PPC click this link.

Medical Exemptions

People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions if:

• they have one of the conditions listed below, and
• they hold a valid medical exemption certificate

Medical exemption certificates are issued on application to people who have:

• a permanent fistula (for example, a caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance
• a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
• diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism
• diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone
• hypoparathyroidism
• myasthenia gravis
• myxoedema (hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement)
• epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy
• a continuing physical disability that means the person can’t go out without the help of another person – temporary disabilities don’t count, even if they last for several months

They are also issued for people undergoing treatment for cancer:

• including the effects of cancer, or
• the effects of current or previous cancer treatment

How to apply for a medical exemption certificate…

Ask our reception team or your doctor for an FP92A form to apply for a medical exemption certificate. Your GP will sign the form to confirm that your statement is correct.

For more information on this click this link.

Information on prescriptions after a private consultation

This section explains how a prescription issued after a private consultation is different to an NHS prescription and how you can get your medicine.

Why am I being given a private prescription?

If you have seen a doctor or other healthcare professional privately and they need you to start a treatment, you may be issued with a private prescription. Private doctors are not allowed to issue NHS prescriptions. This is because private consultations are not part of the NHS treatment pathway.

What is the difference between a private prescription and an NHS prescription?

With a private prescription you will need to pay for the full cost of the medicine plus a dispensing fee. The pharmacy will calculate the total cost, and this is paid by you or your medical insurance company. The total cost can vary at different pharmacies, so it is worth asking more than one pharmacy how much they will charge you to dispense the prescription. Sometimes private prescriptions cost less than the NHS prescription charge.

With an NHS prescription you pay an NHS prescription charge per item (a fixed tax) unless you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions. The current cost of the prescription charge is available at: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/how-much-nhs-prescription-charge/

You can get more information about whether you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions at: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/get-help-with-prescription-costs/

How do I get my medicines if they are on a private prescription?

If you have been given a private prescription by your healthcare professional, you can have this dispensed at a pharmacy of your choice. A private prescription is normally written on letterheaded paper and has all the information about the medicine and how you need to take it. The pharmacy will inform you how much they will charge you to dispense the prescription. The pharmacy has to keep the private prescription for their records once your medicine has been dispensed.

Can I ask my GP for an NHS prescription if I have seen the clinician privately?

If you enter the NHS for further treatment after your initial prescription was dispensed privately, then your GP may be able to issue a prescription on the NHS. However, there are a number of reasons that your GP may not be able to transfer your private prescription onto an NHS prescription. These include:

· The medicine being recommended on your private prescription is not allowed on an NHS prescription

If a medicine is not allowed on an NHS prescription (blacklisted) then it cannot be prescribed by anyone on the NHS.

· The medicine being recommended is not included in your local NHS treatment pathway

In your local area the medicine may not be included in the normal NHS treatment pathway, therefore would not normally be recommended on an NHS prescription.

· The medicine being recommended is not included in your local medicine formulary

A medicine formulary contains a list of preferred local choices. You may be offered a preferred alternative on NHS prescription instead of the medicine on your private prescription.

· The medicine being recommended is only suitable for specialist or specialised prescribing

In the normal NHS treatment pathway, NHS specialists and not GPs, would prescribe the medicine. So, GPs may be unfamiliar with the medicine and how it should be prescribed and reviewed. GPs would not normally prescribe these medicines on NHS prescription.

· Your GP may not agree with the choice of medicine being recommended Your GP may not agree with the choice of medicine recommended by your private clinician. You may be offered an alternative on NHS prescription.

· The medicine is included further down the NHS treatment pathway In your local area other treatments are recommended to be tried and considered first. You may be offered one of these medicines on NHS prescription first.

If I have any question or difficulty obtaining the medicines, what shall I do?

You should speak to the clinician that issued the private prescription to discuss what to do next. They may recommend an alternative medicine, which may be prescribed by your GP on an NHS prescription.

I cannot afford to pay for the treatment privately, what can I do?

It is important to consider all potential costs when accessing a private consultant and this includes medicine costs. If your GP is unable to prescribe the medicine on an NHS prescription for one of the reasons documented, you should speak to the clinician that issued you with the private prescription to discuss what to do next. This may include them recommending an alternative less costly medicine or one which may be prescribed by your GP on an NHS prescription.

My GP has offered me a private prescription even though I am being seen on the NHS. Why is this?

There are a few rare circumstances where NHS healthcare professionals may issue private prescriptions to their NHS patients. These are:

· Malaria prophylaxis for protection when travelling abroad or medicines only needed in case there is an illness or injury when travelling abroad

Treatments that may be needed whilst travelling are not considered suitable for prescribing on the NHS. The traveller should pay the cost of these treatments.

· Travel vaccines that are not allowed on the NHS, such as yellow fever or rabies vaccine

Some vaccines for travel are not allowed on the NHS and therefore travellers needing these vaccines will need to pay for them privately.

· Items which are blacklisted or not available for specific conditions on the NHS

In very rare circumstances, your healthcare professional may think that an item not available for prescribing on the NHS is suitable for you and with your agreement may need to issue a private prescription for this item.

Your healthcare professional may charge you a fee for writing a private prescription.