Prescription Information

If you live in one of the villages surrounding St. Ives or more than one mile from the surgery, we encourage you to use our dispensary as we have trained staff available to dispense your medication every day.

Please allow 3-5 working days for our dispensers to prepare your medication.

Help with NHS costs

In England, around 90% of prescription items are dispensed free. This includes exemptions from charging for those on low incomes, such as:

those on specific benefits or through the NHS Low Income Scheme

those who are age exempt

those with certain medical conditions

More information is available at NHS Choices

NHS Charges

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

Prescription (per item): £9.65

12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60

3-month PPC: £31.25

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030

General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website.

Click here to find out about the rise of Prescription Charges – Prescription charge rises to £9.65 – PSNC Website

NEW – NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC)

If you pay for NHS prescribed HRT medicine 3 or more times in 12 months, an HRT PPC could save you money.

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is an NHS service. It gives you the chance to change how your GP sends your prescription to the place you choose to get your medicines or appliances from.

What does this mean for you?

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 pharmacy you choose, saving you time.

You will have more choice about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy near to where you live, work or shop.

You may not have to wait as long at the pharmacy as there will be time for your repeat prescriptions to be ready before you arrive.

Is this service right for you?

Yes, if you have a stable condition and you:

– Don’t want to go to your GP practice every time to collect your repeat prescription.

– Collect your medicines from the same place most of the time or use a prescription collection service now.

 It may not be if you:

– Don’t get prescriptions very often.

– Pick up your medicines from different places.

How can you use EPS?

You need to choose a place for your GP practice to electronically send your prescription to. This is called nomination. You can choose:

– A pharmacy, a dispensing appliance contractor (if you use one).

– Your dispensing GP practice (if you are eligible).

Ask any pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor that offers EPS or your GP practice to add your nomination for you. You don’t need a computer to do this.

Can I change my nomination or cancel it and get a paper prescription?

Yes you can. If you don’t want your prescription to be sent electronically tell your GP. If you want to change or cancel your nomination speak to any pharmacist or dispensing appliance contractor that offers EPS, or your GP practice. Tell them before your next prescription is due or your prescription may be sent to the wrong place.

Is EPS reliable, secure and confidential?

Yes. Your electronic prescription will be seen by the same people in GP practices, pharmacies and NHS prescription payment and fraud agencies that see your paper prescription now. Sometimes dispensers may see that you have nominated another dispenser. For example, if you forget who you have nominated and ask them to check or, if you have nominated more than one dispenser. Dispensers will also see all the items on your reorder slip if you are on repeat prescriptions.

For more information please visit the NHS Choices website.

These are issued after a consultation with a private consultant or a private GP and all prescriptions are subject to a fee.

The surgery is unable to change these prescriptions to a FP10 for several reasons:

• We may not have seen the patient
• We would be taking on the prescribing costs and responsibilities for the patient who is having non-NHS Care
• Private prescriptions are very often difficult to read as often hand written, therefore scope for error

If a patient sees a specialist privately, their specialist may write to their GP making recommendations about ongoing medication. These recommendations will generally then be prescribed by their GP on receiving the appropriate correspondence as long as these recommendations are licensed on the NHS and in accordance with local prescribing guidelines.