prescriptions sent direct to pharmancy

iammumtoone

I am think of having my sons repeat prescriptions sent direct to a pharmacy near to my work, this would enable me to collect them at lunchtime and avoid having to go to the doctors (which is difficult due to working hours).


However this is quite a distance to our doctors so any one-off prescriptions that are given on a doctors visit, would I be able to get this in my hand to take anywhere as I currently do? or is it one rule or the other?


Thanks

unforeseen

If you have to pick up the prescription from the doctors are you sure that they are using electronic prescriptions?

One thing to bear in mind with the electronic prescription system is that it is all or nothing when it comes to the pharmacy. If you select a pharmacy to receive them then all prescriptions for that person, not just repeats, will go there.

If there is a prescription from an appointment it may be dependent on whether it is needed immediately, in which case you get it in your hand, or is non urgent and they will then put it through EPS. But it is up to you to ask before the prescription is actioned on the system to ask to take it away with you.

sammyjammy

I pick my prescriptions up direct from the chemist but its not electronic, if I attend the doctors and need a prescription they just print it and give it to me, I don't think I could have that arrangement with a chemist near my work as they would have to go to my doctors to pick it up.

custardy

it will be down to your doctor I guess.
I order my repeat prescriptions online via my doctors website.
Sent to the pharmacy of my choice.
If Im in the doctors,I can still get a written prescription to get wherever I choose

Manxman_in_exile

Our GP surgery put everyone on electronic prescriptions, but we reverted to picking them up from the surgery and taking them to the pharmacy ourselves. My wife and I had each submitted repeat requests (each with three medications on) and I ended up making six trips to the pharmacy because the surgery electronically issued one scrip for each medication, but didn't tell us!


But it's easy for us to collect everything ourselves as both our surgery and pharmacy are less than five minutes walk from our house. If you are collecting from somewhere near work, always check you've got all the meds you are expecting/have requested.


I don't see why it has to be "all or nothing". Surely there's nothing to stop your GP giving you a scrip and taking it to any pharmacy of your choice? It's meant to be more user friendly, not less (though not in our case!)

A_Nice_Englishman

If I order a kettle from Argos their online system will check stock at local branches and reserve for collection at my preferred one or for delivery. I don't have to specify that I will buy all my electrical goods from Argos, Anytown until further notice.

Why can't the NHS prescription system do that?

unforeseen

Because you're signing up to get your prescriptions electronically and can only nominate one pharmacy.

If you don't tell the doctor BEFORE they start completing the prescription then the default is EPS because that's what you've signed up for.

Drawingaline

All my repeat scripts go electronically to my designated pharmacy. If I require a script for something more urgent, I ask for a green one at the appointment and just say I want to take it next door rather than go to my normal one which is further away.

If it is ever sent to a pharmacy electronically and you can't get there, you can call the pharmacy ask for the barcode number and for them to 'return' the electronic script, go into another pharmacy with the barcode and that pharmacy can download it.

iammumtoone

Drawingaline wrote: »

All my repeat scripts go electronically to my designated pharmacy. If I require a script for something more urgent, I ask for a green one at the appointment and just say I want to take it next door rather than go to my normal one which is further away.

This is what I want to do as with most doctors ours have a pharmacy next door and I would like to collect there when I visit the doctors.


For repeats the pharmacy I want electronically is 15 minutes drive away from doctors (but very close to my workplace) not convenient when you need to go to doctors with a sick child in tow.


So if I remember to mention this at the start of an appointment, they will be able to print me one out?

iammumtoone

unforeseen wrote: »

If you have to pick up the prescription from the doctors are you sure that they are using electronic prescriptions?

No I am not using electric prescriptions yet, I am thinking of starting.

unforeseen wrote: »

One thing to bear in mind with the electronic prescription system is that it is all or nothing when it comes to the pharmacy. If you select a pharmacy to receive them then all prescriptions for that person, not just repeats, will go there.

This is why I am not using electronic prescriptions as I understood it was all or nothing.

unforeseen wrote: »

If there is a prescription from an appointment it may be dependent on whether it is needed immediately, in which case you get it in your hand, or is non urgent and they will then put it through EPS. But it is up to you to ask before the prescription is actioned on the system to ask to take it away with you.

I will try this. If it doesn't work can I swap back to the old system?

suejb2

My O.H is prescribed Tramadol, now a controlled drug so unable to send electronically. It was a complete faff having some sent and this one not that I now have all scripts as a hard physical copy.