Repeat Prescriptions

 

Prescription requests should be made electronically or through your nominated Pharmacy. We do not accept prescription request by email or telephone.
Please make any prescription queries after 10:00am.

Please allow for 3 working days (72 hours - Excluding Weekends) for your prescription to be ready.
Please Note: If you request your prescription after 6:00pm you must allow another working day.

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 Your Local Pharmacy

Find your local pharmacy using NHS Find a Pharmacy.

Locate your local pharmacy

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 Use the NHS App

Westwood Surgery would like to invite you to use The NHS App

Owned and run by the NHS, the NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.

The simplest and quickest way to order your repeat medication is by using the NHS App which links directly to your Prescription record at the Surgery.

DOWNLOAD THE NHS APP

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 Order Online with Patient Access

You can order your repeat prescription online using Patient Access

Patient Access Logo

You can order your repeat prescription online using Patient Access.

The simplest and quickest way to order your repeat medication is by using Patient Access which links directly to your Prescription record at the Practice.

ORDER ONLINE

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 Order with Accurx

You can order your repeat prescription via our online platform, Accurx.

Order your prescription online

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 By Post

You can post your prescription slip to us at the Surgery.

If you are taking regular medication your "repeat" prescriptions will be printed when required. You can order a further supply of your medication by posting the printed "re-order slip" to the surgery.

Please do not telephone us to request repeat prescriptions. 

A new re-order slip is printed with each repeat prescription; please tick or circle the items on the slip to show exactly what you need. Alternatively, you may write this out yourself and order for someone else, providing you include the patient’s name and date of birth and requested medication. 

Requests for repeat prescriptions by post should be made at least 7 days in advance.

Please provide a stamped and addressed envelope. Requests for repeat prescriptions should not be made more than 10 days in advance.

Should you have a genuine need to request your medication early (e.g. if you are going on holiday) the doctor may be able to fulfil your request. However, please ensure that you clearly state the reason why you are requesting your medication early.

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 In-Person

You can order your medication by bringing the "re-order slip" to the surgery.

If you are taking regular medication your "repeat" prescriptions will be printed when required.

Please do not telephone us to request repeat prescriptions. 

A new re-order slip is printed with each repeat prescription; please tick or circle the items on the slip to show exactly what you need. Alternatively, you may write this out yourself and order for someone else, providing you include the patient’s name and date of birth and requested medication. 

Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made at least 2 working days (ie 48 hours) in advance. Requests for repeat prescriptions should not be made more than ten days in advance.

Should you have a genuine need to request your medication early (e.g. if you are going on holiday) the doctor may be able to fulfil your request. However, please ensure that you clearly state the reason why you are requesting your medication early.

Your Repeat Prescription

If you need regular medication and your doctor does not need to see you every time, you will be issued with a ‘repeat prescription’. When you collect a prescription you will see that it is perforated down the centre. The left-hand side is the actual prescription.The right-hand side (re-order slip) shows a list of medicines that you can request without booking an appointment to see a doctor. Please tear off this section (and keep it) before handing the prescription to the chemist for dispensing.

Run out or just about to run out of medication requests

Unfortunately a small minority of patients are repeatedly running out (or just about to run out) of their medication. ‘Urgent’ requests of this nature cause a great deal of disruption to the smooth running of the practice. Please be aware that such requests will be questioned very carefully by the reception staff and may well be refused by the GP. A record is kept of such requests.

Warfarin Medication

With regards to the ordering of Warfarin, we ask that you adhere to the following policy:

  1. As soon as possible after you have received your latest Warfarin blood test result (INR) please bring your Warfarin monitoring book, or a copy of the result, to the surgery. If you cannot do this then please ask someone else to bring it to the surgery on your behalf. The receptionist will record your blood test result and other relevant information in your medical records, for the attention of the doctor.
  2. When you bring your blood test result to the surgery please request a repeat prescription for Warfarin, ie at the same time, unless you think that you will not need any more tablets until your next blood test is due. We will try to have your prescription ready within two working days, so long as we have your latest blood test result. If we do not already have your latest result it may cause considerable delay in us issuing your new prescription.
  3. Please also count your existing supplies of Warfarin tablets and tell us (in writing) how many tablets of each strength that you have in hand, so that we can calculate what to give you to last you until your next test.
  4. Finally, please understand that if you request your Warfarin tablets some while after your latest blood test, in the run up to your next test, then we will be obliged to supply a smaller number of tablets, enough to last you only until we receive the result of the next test. You will always be better off ordering your Warfarin tablets immediately after a blood test.

Medication Reviews

Patients on repeat medication will be asked at least once a year to review these; certain medication may require more regular review. A notification message should appear on your repeat prescription slip when one is due.

Medication reviews are undertaken by the GP and can either be a face-to-face appointment or alternatively more are being undertaken over the telephone as a telephone consultation.

There are a couple of exceptions where our nursing staff will review medication if you attend one of our specialist clinics e.g. diabetes or asthma but it is always good to check if you are not sure.

As soon as you get this message on your prescription slip and to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions please book an appointment which could be a telephone consultation or a face-to-face appointment.

Repeat Dispensing

If you, or someone you care for, use the same medicines regularly, you may be able to benefit from repeat dispensing from your pharmacist.  This means you won't have to visit the surgery every time you need more medicines. 

 Further Information

Non-repeat items (acute requests)

Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute’ prescriptions are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription records. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period, and may require a review visit with your Doctor prior to the medication being added onto your repeat prescription records.

Some medications are recorded as acute as they require to be closely monitored by the Doctor. Examples include many anti-depressants, drugs of potential abuse or where the prescribing is subject to legal or clinical restrictions or special criteria. If this is the case with your medicine, you may not always be issued with a repeat prescription until you have consulted with your Doctor again.

Prescription Queries

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 How do I request a repeat prescription?

You can request repeat prescriptions online via the NHS App, through our surgery website/accuRx, through your local pharmacy or posting / bringing in the prescription slip to the surgery. We cannot take requests over the phone.

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 My repeat prescription has not been processed yet – why?

Depending on demand, prescription requests will take between 1–3 working days to process. Please be patient while we work through requests. The medication request has to be checked by our prescribing team and clinicians to ensure it can be prescribed safely, and that any monitoring blood tests are all up to date. 

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 How soon before my medications run out can I request a repeat prescription?

You can request your medication within 10 days of running out. Requests made earlier than this will be rejected.

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 I am going on holiday – can I request extra medication?

Yes, we can issue up to 3 months’ supply for patients travelling abroad, and 1 month for controlled drugs. For longer stays, medication will need to be sourced locally at your destination.

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 Why do my prescriptions not appear on my NHS App – have they been stopped?

Medications are not stopped without informing you. Reasons why a medication might not appear include:

  • It has not been requested recently and requires a clinician review.
  • It is classed as an "acute" medication and needs to be requested separately (via website, pharmacy, or in person).
  • It is under "repeat dispensing" – your pharmacy dispenses these in batches, usually without you needing to request them individually.

If you are unsure, please submit a request – we will either process it or contact you if a review is needed.

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 My prescription was issued but I was not informed – why?

Once requested, your prescription will either be issued to the pharmacy within three working days or we will contact you if a review is needed. We do not routinely inform patients when prescriptions are processed.

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 Can a private prescription be converted into an NHS prescription?

This is not guaranteed. You will need to leave a copy of the private prescription with us. A GP will review it and decide if it can be safely and appropriately converted.

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 My prescription is on repeat. How do I know when I'm due for a medication review?

You are due for a medication review when you have used the last repeat on your prescription. Do not wait until you have run out of the last dispense. Book an appointment with the Practice Pharmacist as soon as you have had your last repeat issued.

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 I have my prescription issued as a batch prescription from the pharmacy (known as Repeat Dispensing on a 3 monthly, 6 monthly or 12 monthly basis).

How do I know when I am due for a review?

The Pharmacy should notify you as soon as they have issued you with the last prescription batch, advising you to book an appointment with the Practice Pharmacist for a review. (You can also track this on the NHS App if registered). Do not wait until you have run out of your medication before booking an appointment for a review. Do so as soon as you have had your last batch of prescription dispensed.

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 Medication Queries

Am I eligible for GLP-1 medications (e.g., Mounjaro or Ozempic) on the NHS for weight loss?

In Bexley, these medications had been only available on the NHS for patients with type 2 diabetes who are already on maximum diabetic therapy. From June 2025, it will become available for weight loss via specialist clinics but only if a patients have a BMI of over 40 and 4 medical conditions associated with obesity. 

Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine at the practice?

We are no longer routinely offering COVID-19 vaccinations at the surgery. Some local pharmacies may still offer them; please check availability locally.

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 Referral Queries

My child’s school has advised me to see the GP for a referral for ADHD, ASD, or CAMHS.

Referrals to CAMHS or for ADHD/ASD assessments must be initiated by schools. This is because a school report is required. If you are struggling to obtain support from your school, you can book an appointment to discuss further with a GP.

I have a musculoskeletal issue – should I see the GP?

The Bexley MSK service offers excellent self-help advice and exercises for musculoskeletal problems through their website: Bexley MSK Service.

You should see a GP if:

  • Your symptoms are worsening
  • Pain is not managed by over-the-counter medication
  • You have severe pain affecting daily life
  • You are unsure about the cause of your symptoms.

Am I eligible for weight loss services?

You may be eligible based on your BMI and any weight-related health conditions like diabetes or hypertension. At present we are unable to provide weight loss injections on the NHS

  • Tier 2 services can be self-referred via Gro Health Bexley.
  • Tier 3 or 4 services (which may include bariatric surgery) require a GP referral if your BMI is over 35 with associated conditions.

I or someone I know is having memory problems – what should we do?

Please book an appointment. We will usually arrange blood and urine tests to rule out reversible causes first. If appropriate, we will then refer you to the memory clinic.

I am struggling with loneliness – can you help?

Yes. We can refer you to the Evergreen befriending service, who arrange home visits for those struggling with social isolation.