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How to order a repeat prescription

A repeat prescription lets you order a medicine you take regularly without seeing your GP every time. In England you can request one in the NHS App or on the NHS website, through your GP surgery, or through an online pharmacy. The NHS advises putting your request in up to 5 working days before you need the medicine.

What a repeat prescription is

If you take the same medicine month after month, your GP will usually add it to your repeat list. You still have to ask for each new supply, and the surgery still has to approve it, but you do not need an appointment to do so.

Some people are on repeat dispensing instead. Here the GP authorises a set number of supplies in advance, and you go straight to your pharmacy for each one without contacting the surgery.

How to get a repeat prescription: your three options

The NHS lists three routes. All of them end the same way, with your GP surgery approving the request and sending the prescription electronically to a pharmacy.

The NHS App or NHS website. Log in, pick the medicines you need and send the request. You can choose the pharmacy that receives your prescriptions.

Other online services and apps. Your surgery may use its own online system, so ask which one. Online pharmacies registered with the NHS can also take your order. They will ask for a few details, such as your name and your GP surgery, so they can get your prescription.

Your GP surgery directly. Ask your surgery how it prefers to be told.

Ordering an NHS repeat prescription in the NHS App

  1. Open the NHS App, or log in on the NHS website.
  2. Select Prescriptions.
  3. Select Request a repeat prescription.
  4. Choose the medicines you need and send the request.
  5. Check back under your requested medicines. Each one shows as waiting for GP approval, approved or rejected.

Once your GP approves a medicine, the prescription goes automatically to your chosen pharmacy, if you have one. If you have not chosen a pharmacy, the app gives you a barcode that any pharmacy can scan.

If a medicine is missing from your list, or the app will not let you request it, contact your surgery. It may be too soon since your last order, or you may be due a medicine review.

How long does a repeat prescription take?

There are two stages. First your GP surgery has to approve the request. Then the pharmacy has to prepare it. The NHS says to request your prescription up to 5 working days before you need it, and that a chosen pharmacy usually takes 3 to 5 days to have it ready to collect.

Delivery by post adds a little more. If your medicines are sent to you, order earlier than you would for collection. We suggest about 7 working days before you run out.

If you need a medicine urgently, contact your GP surgery. When the surgery is closed, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

What it costs

In England the NHS prescription charge is £9.90 per item, not per prescription. Many people do not pay at all, including everyone aged 60 or over and under 16. If you pay for several items, a prescription prepayment certificate may work out cheaper.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not charge for prescriptions. They also run their own ordering systems, so the steps in this guide apply to patients registered with a GP in England.

Having your repeat prescription delivered

The MedsRus NHS prescription service is for patients registered with a GP surgery in England. You sign up once and we become your nominated pharmacy. After that you order your repeats in the MedsRus app, in the NHS App or through your surgery. Our pharmacist checks every item, and we post it by Royal Mail Tracked at no extra cost. If you pay for prescriptions, you pay the standard NHS charge and nothing more.

Frequently asked questions

How do I order a repeat prescription online?

Log in to the NHS App or the NHS website, select Prescriptions, then Request a repeat prescription. Choose the medicines you need and send the request. Your GP surgery approves it and sends the prescription to your chosen pharmacy. Some surgeries use a different online service, and NHS online pharmacies can take orders too.

How long does a repeat prescription take?

The NHS advises requesting it up to 5 working days before you need the medicine. Once you have a chosen pharmacy, it usually takes 3 to 5 days for the prescription to be ready. Allow extra time if your medicines are posted to you. Contact your GP surgery if you are about to run out.

Why can't I see my medicine in the NHS App?

According to the NHS, a medicine may not be listed if it was a one-off course, has not been prescribed for a long time, is a controlled medicine that cannot be requested in the app, or is on repeat dispensing. Your GP surgery can tell you how to order anything that is missing.

Do I need to see my GP every time I order?

No. A repeat prescription means you can order without an appointment each time. Your GP still approves every request, and from time to time the surgery may ask you to have a medicine review before it issues more. If a request is rejected, contact the surgery to find out why.

What if I run out of my medicine?

Contact your GP surgery as soon as you can and explain that the request is urgent. If the surgery is closed, the NHS advises using NHS 111 online or calling 111. To avoid running short, order when you still have about a week's supply left, or earlier if your medicines come by post.

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