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.

CLICK ON THE BOTTLE TO ORDER YOUR REPEAT PRESCRIPTION

18.3.2020 reviewed 4.5.2020 reviewed 21/05/2020

On the advice of NHS England and ELMMB we will only be issuing 28 day length amounts of medications. This is to eliminate any problems with supplies during and after the Covid -19 crisis.

Due to present conditions, the surgery Doctors have taken the decision to use the Repeat Dispensing option for SOME patients prescriptions.

This is at the GP's discretion, you will be advised on your prescription , email or text if this is the case for you and how long for.

The criteria for this is:

1.You must have 6 or less items on your list

2. You must order regularly and be stable on all medications

3. No controlled drugs can be on this system

When you have 5 days of medicines left please contact your pharmacy direct. you will not need to reorder until your last issue has been dispensed. 

We prefer not to accept prescription requests over the phone and there are two reasons for this.

1. This method can lead to errors being made due to miscommunication

2. We need to keep our telephone lines free for patients who may need to seek advice

Please note we require 2 FULL WORKING DAYS from the time we receive your request to ensure it is ready for dispensing at the pharmacy.

Any requests after the cut off time (2 PM) will not begin to be processed until the following working day.

Please order you medication in good time. Do not leave things until the last minute – it creates unnecessary pressure on the surgery which it turn causes problems in processing other matters.

Ideally, you should order your medication 4 days BEFORE they are due to run out.

The reason for this is to enable the doctors and staff to adequately monitor your prescription and make sure that you are not having inappropriate medication that may be harmful to your health in the long run.

We will always aim to have your prescription ready for dispensing at the pharmacy 2 working days after ordering, but unfortunately, due to some circumstances, we may not always be able to guarantee this.

On occasions we all forget important things and your medication can be one of these.

If you need an urgent  prescription please order via the same methods on the tab marked Repeat Prescription Requests as above  before 10.30 am and we will endeavour to get your request ready for the next working day.

We are keen to ensure that patients with on going medical problems are regularly monitored.  If the date for your review has passed you may be asked to make an appointment with a doctor or nurse, or you may be contacted by telephone.

Prescriptions for Paracetamol, baby milk, scabies, head lice or worms will not be given as an emergency. These can all be purchased over the counter at the local Pharmacy inline with the East Lancashire CCG self care policy.

 If you have a usual pharmacy via EPS your prescription will usually go there when issued.

Use of antibiotics

Antibiotics are important medicines to help treat infections that are caused by bacteria. Different antibiotics are used to kill different types of bacteria. They can be used to treat relatively mild conditions such as acne as well as potentially life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia (a type of lung infection). Antibiotics are usually taken by mouth, but can sometimes be given into a vein (intravenous), into a muscle (intramuscular) or applied to the skin (topical).

Why might the GP not prescribe antibiotics?

At the Clayton Medical Centre we will only prescribe antibiotics if we feel that they will benefit your condition - many conditions will improve without the need for medication. The majority of common ailments such as colds, most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses. Antibiotics do not work against infections caused by viruses and generally these will get better on their own.

Antibiotic resistance (when an antibiotic is no longer effective) is a major problem. This is caused by overusing and inappropriately prescribing antibiotics. The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has led to the emergence of superbugs such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. diff) which are often in the headlines.

Some antibiotics are not suitable for people with certain medical conditions, or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. You should only ever take antibiotics that are prescribed to you – never 'borrow' them from a friend of family member. You are also be prescribed certain antibiotics if you are known to have had an allergic reaction in the past. This is estimated to affect about 1 in 15 people in the UK.

What can I do to help combat antibiotic resistance?

There are a number of things that you can do to help manage antibiotic resistance.

Don't expect to be prescribed antibiotics when you are unwell, particularly if your GP believes your illness is caused by a virus.

Ÿ If you are prescribed antibiotics please make sure you take the complete course in order to get rid of the bacteria completely. If you have tablets left over or 'save some for next time' some bacteria may be left to develop resistance.

Ÿ Treat viral infections such as colds by drinking plenty of fluids and resting. Seek advice from your pharmacist to help manage your condition. If your cold lasts for more than three weeks you should consider seeing you GP.

By not using them unnecessarily, they're more likely to work when we do need them.It is important to read the information leaflet that comes with your medication carefully in order to get most benefit and avoid side effects.

Where can I find more information about antibiotics?

You can find lots more useful information about antibiotics on the NHS Choices website including, what they are used for, side effects and more details about antibiotic resistance. You can also watch a short video about antibiotics. If you would like more information about how to get well without antibiotics your can download a leaflet here.

Please allow 2 Working days , excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, for your request to be processed by us.

If you have any problems regarding your medication or prescriptions please telephone the surgery on  01254 287150  and ask to speak to a trained member of staff in the prescription department.

WAYS TO ORDER YOUR PRESCRIPTION

Pharmacies are no longer able to order on patients behalf. We request you to order your prescription via the following methods:-

1. www.claytonmedicalcentre.co.uk  - follow the Repeat Prescriptions tab

2. Patient Access if you have already set up your registration with the practice.

3. Post your completed request in the letter box Anytime of day ONLY if you can not use any other way to order as we would prefer you to stay at home safe.

5.OVER 70'S AND HOUSEBOUND ONLY CAN PLACE REQUESTS FOR REPEAT MEDICATIONS  BY TELEPHONE  01254 287150 asking for prescriptions BETWEEN 10 AM - 12 NOON  daily 

Please ensure you have the name of your medication to prevent any errors.  

ANY PRESCRIPTION QUERIES CAN ALSO BE DEALT WITH ON THIS LINE

18.3.2020 reviewed 4.5.2020 reviewed 21/05/2020

On the advice of NHS England and ELMMB we will only be issuing 28 day length amounts of medications. This is to eliminate any problems with supplies during and after the Covid -19 crisis.

Due to present conditions, the surgery Doctors have taken the decision to use the Repeat Dispensing option for some issues of  patients prescriptions.

This is at the GP's discretion, you will be advised on your prescription , email or text if this is the case for you and how long for.

The criteria for this is:

1.You must have 6 or less items on your list

2. You must order regularly and be stable on all medications

3. No controlled drugs can be on this system

When you have 5 days of medicines left please contact your pharmacy direct. you will not need to reorder until your last issue has been dispensed. 

Electronic Prescription Service

If you collect your repeat prescriptions from your GP you will not have to visit your GP practice to pick up your paper prescription. Instead, your GP will send it electronically to the place you choose, saving you time. You can nominate a non local pharmacies too, close to work maybe?

Ask for a nomination sheet OR speak to Diane Smith who will advise you about the process on 01254 287150  ask for Prescriptions daily 10am -12 noon.

If you change your mind at any time, you can nominate another pharmacy or revert to collecting paper prescriptions.

If you would like more information on this the NHS has a website: http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/eps