Due to the current circumstances and pressures on the NHS, NHS England has advised to change the way you currently order your regular medication. Your GP or healthcare practitioner will issue a repeat dispensing prescription which will have a number of prescription issues on it e.g. a minimum of 3 months of medication to be collected monthly.
This “batch” of prescriptions will be sent electronically to your existing nominated pharmacy. This means that you simply collect your regular medication from your usual pharmacy without having to order it each month.
If you wish to change your pharmacy later; you can ask the new pharmacy to set your nomination with them. Your regular medication will then be available at that pharmacy.
When your pharmacy supplies your last electronic repeat prescription, they will inform you. You will then have to contact your GP practice to ask for another set of electronic repeat prescriptions. You may need to be seen for a review before another batch of electronic repeat dispensing prescription is authorised.
It is important to let your pharmacist know if you are taking any other medicines or if your medical condition changes. If you have any questions about your medicines, just ask at the pharmacy, they will be happy to help you.
If you consent to this, you do not need to do anything as the practice has set this up for you using your current preferred pharmacy, however if you feel this is not suitable or you have any concerns or questions regarding this change please contact the surgery as soon as possible.
Due to the current situation with coronavirus, please allow 5 working days for your medication request to be processed and collected from the pharmacy.
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact us.
Kind Regards
Peartree Group Medical Practice
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR MEDICATION USING ELECTRONIC REPEAT DISPENSING (eRD) PRESCRIBING SYSTEM
STEP 1
If you have received a text from the surgery saying your prescription has been moved to this new way of ordering you do not need to do anything and can go to step 2.
For patients who wish to move to eRD:
Talk to your GP or the healthcare practitioner who prescribes your medicines and ask them if you can move to Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD). If your prescriber thinks that you are eligible, they will ask you for permission to share information about your treatment with your nominated pharmacy (any pharmacy which dispenses NHS medication). This will enable your pharmacist to communicate to your prescriber about your treatment and the ability to provide you with tailored advice.
Your prescriber will then authorise a number of eRD prescriptions (to cover a determined number of months). The duration will be based on your circumstances and clinical need.
STEP 2
Collect your first eRD prescription from your chosen pharmacy.
STEP 3
Next time you need more medicines, go back to your pharmacy.
Before dispensing the next issue of your prescription, your pharmacy will ask you the following questions:
- Have you seen any health professionals (GP, nurse or hospital doctor), since your last repeat prescription was supplied?
- Have you recently started taking any new medicines – either on prescription or that you have bought over the counter?
- Have you been having any problems with your medication or experiencing any side effects?
- Are there any items on your repeat prescription that you don’t need this month?
If you don’t need all of the medicines on your prescription, let the pharmacy staff know, so that they only supply the medicines you need. This will help to reduce waste and save the NHS money.
If you have any questions about your medicines, just ask at the pharmacy; they’ll be happy to help you.
STEP 4
When your pharmacy supplies your last prescription, they will advise you to contact your GP practice to arrange for your medication to be reviewed and if it is clinically appropriate to issue another eRD prescription.
