In July 2022 we changed our prescription ordering system to make it more efficient.
Our prescriptions email address has been disabled and all digital prescription requests were required to be made through our website by submitting a secure contact form, or via the NHS app. For patients without internet access, requests can be made in writing by post or in-person. The processing of prescription requests has now been streamlined with faster results and less room for error, benefiting our patients enormously.
All well-known third-party pharmaceutical companies were given this information several months ago and sufficient leigh-way was given for these companies to adhere to the changes in our request policy. This includes companies such as Boots, Pharmacy2U and Lloyds Direct.
In recent weeks we have been notified that some of these companies have informed our patients that their requests to the surgery have not been actioned. This is because they have ignored our change of policy and have not adhered to the changes we have put in place. They have continued to use an email address which is no longer in use.
Whilst these companies advertise a “hassle-free” and convenient service, behind the scenes there is a resultant increase in administrative processing for GP practices. Whilst we understand the benefits for you, our patients, we hope you understand that in these times of increased pressure faced by the NHS we need these companies to work with us to deliver your prescriptions, by requesting your prescriptions in the most appropriate and efficient way – as we have laid out in our new protocol.
If you have had issues with your third-party pharmacy which have not been resolved during your communications with them, you can address the issue with us directly by completing the “Request a Repeat Prescription” form on our website. Towards the end of this form there is a section for additional comments and a tick box which states “I have nominated a pharmacy and will arrange my collection from the pharmacy”. Patients requiring a prescription to be sent to a third-party pharmacy can tick this box and state the name of the pharmacy they would like their prescription to be sent to in the additional comments box. Any requests received in this way will be actioned appropriately.
We would like to thank all of our patients for their continued understanding and support.
Kind regards,
Probus Surgery
