Denton Village Surgery

Tell me about my repeat medication

There are a number of ways to order your repeat medication:

· Register for Online Access for Repeat Prescriptions – System one online (attach link)

· NHS app (attach link online)

· Accu RX (attach a link for patients to be able to order their medication via the accu rx)

· Repeat slips, please tick the medication you would like to order and place the request in the post box just inside our surgery front door, if the surgery is closed post through our letter box. When posting your repeat via royal mail please give at least an extra 5 working days to ensure we receive your repeat in good time.

· Emailing your request to denton.dispensary@nhs.net, this service is only available if you are unable to request the medication using any of the other methods listed above.

Please allow 5 FULL WORKING DAYS for prescription requests to be completed (excluding weekends and bank holidays). Please supply your name, date of birth, along with the name and strength of all medication required.

The dispensary is open from 8.00 – 13.00 & 14.30 – 18.30 Monday to Friday.

The vast majority of our patients are able to benefit from our 24hr Medication Collection Point. This is a machine which allows patients to collect their medication from us 7 days a week / 24 hrs a day at their convenience, even when we’re closed! There are a few scenarios and medications which are not suitable for this service. Our Dispensary team can explain if this is not an option for you.

However, there is also a limited medication distribution service for patients unable to travel to the surgery to collect their prescription items. Please enquire at the dispensary for full details of the service.

Why do we need 5 working days to dispense a prescription?

You are one of over 6200 patients registered at Denton Village Surgery. The dispensary is very busy, on an average day there are 200 patients coming through the surgery doors seeing doctors and nurses who may be given an acute prescription for us to dispense. At the same time we are processing approximately 500 repeat items per day.

We are not just dispensing prescriptions, there are many other duties we have to do such as, stock sourcing and ordering, unpacking orders, dealing with queries, making up dosset boxes and organising medication for delivery.

When a repeat slip is handed into the dispensary or an online request is sent there are lots of steps that need to happen before the medication is on the shelf ready for you to collect:

  1. Patient records are checked to see if a prescription can be issued   
  2. Prescription is generated                                                                                 
  3. Prescription must be checked and signed by doctor                                     
  4. Prescription is labelled                                                                                            
  5. Medication is ordered for prescription                                                   
  6. Medication is dispensed                                                                                     
  7. Medication is checked against prescription                                                     
  8. Items are bagged up ready for collection         

These steps have to be followed for each item that is dispensed for each patient. We cannot let unsigned prescriptions leave the dispensary as this is a legal requirement.

What can I do to ensure there are no problems getting my prescription?

  1. Give us at least 5 FULL WORKING DAYS from when you order your medication. Don’t forget we are closed weekends and bank holidays – you can order up to 2 weeks in advance so we have plenty of time to get your medication ready for you
  2. If you are going away then make sure you take all medication with you for the duration of your trip
  3. Ensure appointments and blood tests are made promptly when requested – so all your medications have enough issues left for us to print a prescription, if not we have to check it with the doctor and this takes time as our doctors are also very busy
  4. Don’t let yourself run out of any medications
  5. If you need more than a months’ worth of medication please give us the reason e.g. Holiday and we will be able to process this for you, we cannot do more than a month’s medication without a reason.

 

Thank you for your understanding,

The Dispensary Team, Denton Village Surgery

Date published: 8th October, 2014
Date last updated: 12th January, 2023