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How to change your nominated pharmacy

Your nominated pharmacy is the one your GP surgery sends your prescriptions to electronically. You can change it at any time in the NHS App or on the NHS website, or by asking your GP surgery or the pharmacy you want to move to. You do not have to give a reason, and you do not have to tell the pharmacy you are leaving.

What the Electronic Prescription Service does

Most prescriptions in England are no longer printed on paper. The Electronic Prescription Service, usually shortened to EPS, lets a prescriber send your prescription securely to a dispenser of your choice. NHS England says more than 95% of prescriptions in England are now produced this way.

The pharmacy you pick is your nominated pharmacy. The NHS App calls it your chosen pharmacy, and the two terms mean the same thing. Once it is set:

  • you no longer need to collect paper prescriptions from your surgery
  • that pharmacy receives your prescriptions until you change or remove it

Nomination is your decision. A pharmacy or surgery can record it for you, but only because you have asked.

How to nominate a pharmacy for the first time

  1. Log in to the NHS App or the NHS website.
  2. Select Prescriptions.
  3. Select Choose a pharmacy.
  4. Follow the instructions to search for and confirm the pharmacy you want.

How to change your nominated pharmacy in the NHS App

  1. Log in and select Prescriptions.
  2. Select Your chosen pharmacy. You will see the name and details of the current one.
  3. Select Change your chosen pharmacy.
  4. Follow the instructions to choose the new pharmacy.

The NHS warns that prescriptions you have already requested may still arrive at your old pharmacy after you switch. If you have a request in progress, either wait for it to be dispensed before changing, or be ready to collect that one from the old pharmacy.

Changing to an online pharmacy

An online pharmacy posts your medicines to you instead of handing them over a counter. The NHS says that to use one you must register through its website or contact it directly. Once you have registered and given your consent, the pharmacy updates the nomination on your NHS record.

Other ways to change it

You do not need the NHS App. You can ask your GP surgery to update your nominated pharmacy, or ask the pharmacy you would like to use to set it for you.

When you cannot change it yourself

The NHS lists three situations where the app will not let you view or change your chosen pharmacy:

  • your GP surgery dispenses your medicines itself
  • you have more than one nomination, for example a pharmacy and a separate supplier of medical equipment
  • you manage an account for someone else and want to change their pharmacy

In these cases, speak to your GP surgery or to the pharmacy you want to use.

Removing a nomination altogether is also something the app cannot do. You need to ask your GP surgery. Without a nominated pharmacy, your approved prescription appears as a barcode in the NHS App, and you can take it to any pharmacy to be dispensed.

Does this apply outside England?

This guide describes the NHS in England, where the NHS App and nomination work as set out above. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own prescription services, and prescriptions there are free. In England the NHS prescription charge is £9.90 per item unless you are exempt or hold a prepayment certificate.

Nominating MedsRus

If you would like your medicines delivered, the MedsRus NHS prescription service is open to anyone registered with a GP surgery in England. You sign up with your NHS number, or with your name, date of birth and address if you do not know it. We then find your NHS record, set MedsRus as your nominated pharmacy and confirm by email or text. You carry on ordering repeats as before, and you can change your nomination again whenever you like.

Frequently asked questions

What is a nominated pharmacy?

It is the pharmacy you have chosen to receive your NHS prescriptions electronically. Once it is set, your GP surgery sends each prescription straight there through the Electronic Prescription Service, and you no longer collect a paper form. The nomination stays in place until you change or remove it.

How do I change my nominated pharmacy?

In the NHS App, select Prescriptions, then Your chosen pharmacy, then Change your chosen pharmacy, and follow the instructions. You can also ask your GP surgery or your new pharmacy to do it. For an online pharmacy, the NHS says you need to register on its website or contact it directly.

Do I need to tell my old pharmacy?

No. Your nomination is held on your NHS record, so updating it is all that is needed. Bear in mind that prescriptions requested before the change may still be sent to the old pharmacy. If you are waiting on one, collect it there or check with them before you switch.

How quickly does a change of nominated pharmacy take effect?

The NHS does not publish a fixed timescale. Its guidance says only that prescriptions already requested may still arrive at your previous pharmacy. To be safe, change your nomination when you have no requests outstanding, then check in the NHS App that the new pharmacy shows under Your chosen pharmacy before you next order.

Can I get prescriptions without a nominated pharmacy?

Yes. If you have not chosen a pharmacy, your approved prescription appears as a barcode in the NHS App. You can show it at any pharmacy in England. You may have to wait while it is prepared, and the pharmacy may need to order stock before it can complete your prescription.

Related guides

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