Prescriptions

Your Repeat Medication

If you need regular medication and your doctor does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with a ‘repeat prescription’. When you collect a prescription you will see that it is perforated down the centre. The left-hand side is the actual prescription. The right-hand side (re-order slip) shows the list of medicines that you can request.

If you forget to order your medication in time and run out of important medicines, you may be able to get help from your pharmacy. Under the Urgent Provision of Repeat Medication Service, pharmacists may be able to supply you with a further cycle of a previously repeated medicine without having to get a prescription from your GP. If you receive stoma products from your pharmacy or other suppler and/or receive suppose such as continence products and welfare food from community services, you should ensure you have sufficient supplies as you may encounter difficulties in obtaining theses over public holidays, or when we are closed.

Pharmacy collection

The following pharmacies have an arrangement to collect prescriptions from our surgery:

• Lindsay & Gilmour Craigmillar
• Lindsay & Gilmour Niddrie (previously Smiths)
• Lindsay & Gilmour Milton Road
• Lindsay & Gilmour Moredun Park Road
• Boots Cameron Toll
• Boots Fort Kinnaird
• Boots Portobello
• ASDA (The Jewel)
• Nuchem (Piersfield)
• Omnicare (Inch) Pharmacy
• Newington Pharmacy
• Gilmerton Pharmacy
• Wooton Pharmacy (Portobello)

If the pharmacy that you use is not included in this list, but you would like to be able to collect your medicines directly from them, you will need to provide us with a stamped addressed envelope to post the prescription directly to the pharmacy. It is likely that these types of prescription request will take longer than 48 hours because of the delay with posting.

Medication reviews

The doctors at the Practice regularly review the medication you are taking. We may sometimes ask you to make a telephone appointment for a review of your medication. If your medication is due for review, please ensure that you book a call in enough time before you run out.

Non-Repeat Items (Special Requests)

Non Repeat Prescriptions known as “special requests” are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription list.

This may be a new medication issued for a trial period and may require a review with your clinician prior to being added onto your repeat prescription list.

Some other medications are kept as special requests as they require to be closely monitored by the GP. Examples include many anti-depressants, drugs of potential abuse or where the prescribing is subject to legal or clinical restrictions or special criteria. If this is the case with your medicine, you may not always be issued with a prescription until you have consulted with your GP again.

Please do not request medication as a “special request” if you have never had it from the GP before. A telephone appointment will be required for this.

Hospital and Community Requests

When you are discharged from hospital you should normally receive a seven day supply of medication.

Hospital requests for change of medication will be checked by a prescribing clinician first, and if necessary a prescribing clinician will provide you with a prescription on request.