Dispensing surgeries provide an invaluable service to a rural community. Particularly in our community where we have a high proportion of elderly patients, some who have no transport and some of whom are housebound.
The practice can dispense medication to patients who live more than a mile from a retail pharmacy, therefore we dispense to 40% of our practice population.
We invest the resources into our dispensary staff training as it is such an integral part of the service we offer. In addition to issuing your repeat and acute prescription requests, the dispensary staff are available to offer advice on a wide range of medication queries. They are also in an excellent position to monitor under and over use, or inappropriate use of medication. Thanks to their vigilance we have kept our prescribing budgets well within local and national guidelines.
Acute prescriptions
The doctor may prescribe a medication item on an acute prescription, for a particular episode of illness. If we do not have these items in stock we can generally obtain them for you that afternoon or the following morning, as we get two drug deliveries per day. In exceptional circumstances we can send you to a retail pharmacy with a signed prescription from the doctor.
Repeat prescriptions
Items that appear on your repeat medication list can be ordered either online or by completing your repeat medication slip.
Items that do not appear on this list but have been prescribed in the past can also be requested and can take 5 working days to be processed.
Collecting at your chosen pharmacy: Please allow 2 full working days.
Collecting from the surgery dispensary: Please allow full 3 working days. This is to ensure we have sufficient time to source the medication from our suppliers.
Free prescription delivery service
We offer a free prescription delivery service to elderly or housebound patients who meet certain criteria. These patients are normally referred to the dispensary staff by the GPs or another Health Professional. Please contact the dispensary staff if you feel a patient would benefit from this service; and their GP can do an assessment.
Emergency medication
If you run out of your regular medication and are in urgent need you can go to any pharmacy and request a small amount. The Pharmacist will ask for some relevant details and you may be required to pay. You can be issued with enough medication to tide you over until the surgery reopens and you are able to order in the usual manner.
