PRESCRIPTIONS ADVICE

05.12.2023 Local Pharmacy Hours Christmas and New Year Opening Hours

Please see the chart below for the opening hours for our local pharmacies over the festive period.

22.06.2023 Wells Health Centre Prescription Newsletter

Please read our Prescription Newsletter - click here.

31.08.21 - New Inhaler Disposal Scheme

The propellants in commonly used inhalers are powerful greenhouse gases. Even after the inhaler has been used, significant amounts of these environmentally damaging gases remain in the canister.

Inhalers returned to pharmacies for safe disposal can be disposed of with other medicines waste. This is then thermally treated to destroy the greenhouse gases. All used inhalers should be returned to a pharmacy to be disposed of safely.  Landfill disposal of inhalers is harmful to the environment, due to the residual gas from canisters being released into the atmosphere.

If all used inhalers in the UK were returned for safe disposal, this could save 512,330 tonnes of CO2eq annually - the same as a VW Golf car being driven around the world 88,606 times!

All used inhalers should be returned to a pharmacy to be disposed of safely

Timescales for requesting Repeat Medications

In order to manage the high volume of prescription requests we have extended the time period to request your repeat medication. Wherever you choose to collect your prescription from please ensure you allow 5 working days for us to generate your script.

So prescriptions ordered on a:

• Monday will be ready for collection the following Monday
• Tuesday will be ready for collection the following Tuesday
• Wednesday will be ready for collection the following Wednesday
• Thursday will be ready for collection the following Thursday
• Friday will be ready for collection the following Friday

If you are collecting an EMERGENCY PRESCRIPTION from the health centre it should be available for collection after 6.15pm the same day.  Please only use this service in an emergency.

If you normally collect your repeat medicines from your nominated pharmacy, but you need them urgently (i.e. sooner than 5 days) please let the receptionist know.

We would ask that you, or someone on your behalf, collect the prescription from the health centre at an allocated time and take it to the pharmacy. Please remember to make extra allowances for Bank Holiday times.

Ordering repeat medication online

Repeat medication can be ordered online via Patient Access. If you don’t have an account you can sign up on the Patient Access website.

Visit the Patient Access website (opens new window).

You can also order repeat medications (and use online consultations) by using our new service Engage Consult. Select the 'Consult' option that you will see on our Home page.

Click on the link below to go to our Home page.

This link (opens new window) to go to our Home page and select 'Consult'.

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)

EPS is a new way to get your medicines. 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 nominate, 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. If you would like to sign up please ask at your pharmacy or at Reception.

In person

Use the tear off slip from your previous prescription. If you do not have your repeat slip please print off and use the Repeat Prescription Slips Form. Request slips can be posted to the health centre, left in our post box outside the building or in the inner post box designated for prescriptions

Prescriptions can be collected by the local pharmacies where patients have made previous arrangements. Click on the link below to visit the NHS website and see where your nearest pharmacy is:

Visit the NHS website and find your nearest pharmacy (opens new window)

Medication supplies when travelling abroad

Wells Health Centre follows the NHS rules on the provision of medications when travelling abroad.  The NHS allows a maximum of 3 months of medication to cover you when travelling out of the country. Unfortunately we cannot exceed this and you will need to make arrangements whilst abroad for repeat prescriptions if you will be out of the country for longer than 3 months.  There are situations where it may not be safe to provide as long as 3 months of a particular medication if it’s effects need to be monitored closely. 

For further information see click on the link below:

Further information on taking medications when abroad please click on this link (opens new window) .

It also our practice policy to not prescribe Diazepam or other sedating drugs to patients with a fear of flying. For more information, click here