Find out about prescriptions including charges, repeat prescriptions and if you can get free prescriptions.
How to order a repeat prescription
If you take medicine regularly, you’ll usually have a repeat prescription.
This means you can order your medicine when you need it, without having to see a GP every time.
You might be able to ask your pharmacy directly for your medicine if your GP has set this up (repeat dispensing). If not, you’ll need to order your medicines through a repeat prescription from your GP surgery.
There are 3 ways to order a repeat prescription from your GP surgery:
- using your NHS account
- using other online services or apps
- contacting your GP surgery
Using your NHS App or account
How to order your repeat prescription on the NHS App
On the homepage select request repeat prescriptions.
You will see or can change your nominated pharmacy then select continue.
You will see your medicines select what you need.
Then select continue.
If you’re happy with the details select request prescriptions.
Your prescription has now been requested.
You can find out what to do next, see the status of your request and see that the medicine you requested is waiting for approval.
If you need help you can visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/.
You can order a repeat prescription using the NHS App or by logging into your account on the NHS website.
If you’re asked to nominate a pharmacy, you can only nominate a high street pharmacy.
You’ll be able to collect your medicine in person when it’s ready. Some high street pharmacies also deliver.
Order a repeat prescription using your NHS App or account
Using other online services or apps
You can use other online services to order a repeat prescription:
- GP online services: ask your GP surgery which service they use as you’ll need to use the same one
- internet pharmacies: they’ll ask for your name, age and GP surgery’s address so they can get your prescription
You can see a list of internet pharmacies registered with the NHS and find out more about online health and prescription services.
Contacting your GP surgery
Ask your GP surgery how to let them know when you need your repeat prescription.
When your prescription is ready you can pick it up in person, or your GP surgery may be able to send it to a pharmacy of your choice.
If you nominate a pharmacy, the pharmacy may be able to deliver your medicine to you or let you know when it’s ready for you to collect.
Speak to your local pharmacy to find out what they offer.
Check if you can get free prescriptions
Find out if you’re eligible for free NHS prescriptions and any help with other NHS costs, including sight tests and NHS dental treatment.
This service will ask about your age, where you live and any health conditions you have.
Some prescribed items are always free, including contraception and medicines given to hospital inpatients.
Check what help you could get to pay for NHS costs on the NHS Business Services Authority website.
Save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC)
The current prescription charge is £9.90 per item.
Information:
Some items are always free, including contraception and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients.
If you know you’ll have to pay for a lot of NHS prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC).
Find out how to save money with a PPC
How long is a prescription valid for?
Most prescriptions are valid for 6 months from the date they are signed by a doctor or nurse.
Prescriptions for most controlled drugs, such as morphine, are valid for 28 days.
Find out more about controlled drugs on GOV.UK
Emergency prescriptions
If you have run out of prescribed medicine and need some urgently, there are a few ways to get an emergency supply, including out of hours.
How to get emergency prescription medicine
Use the 111 online emergency prescription service
If you get your medicine with a repeat prescription, you can use the 111 online emergency prescription service.
They’ll ask some questions, including where you are and when you are due to take your medicine so they can suggest the best way to get it.
They may refer you to a pharmacy to get your medicine.
If your medicine is not prescribed as a repeat prescription, you can get help from 111 online or call 111 to discuss your options.
Visit a pharmacy
Pharmacies can provide certain emergency medicines to patients even if they don’t have a prescription, but you may need to pay.
Visit an urgent treatment centre
You may be able to get your medicine from an urgent treatment centre after a consultation.
Call your GP surgery
You can call your GP surgery. If it’s outside their usual opening hours, they should have details of their out-of-hours service recorded on their answering machine.
Use the NHS Find a GP service to get a GP surgery’s phone number.
Go to A&E if it’s an emergency
If it’s an emergency go to A&E.
Collect a prescription for someone else
You can collect a prescription medicine for someone else as long as they’ve given their consent or asked you to collect it.
The GP surgery or pharmacy may contact the person the prescription is for to check they’re happy for you to collect it. You’ll need to know the name, address and date of birth of the person the prescription is for. You may also be asked to sign the back of the prescription form.
Information:
Prescription charges
If the person you’re collecting the medicine for gets free NHS prescriptions or has a pre-payment certificate you may have to show proof of this. If not, you’ll need to pay for the prescription.
Find out more:
Collecting the prescription
Most prescriptions are sent electronically, direct to a pharmacy from the GP surgery. The person who the prescription is for can choose which pharmacy it goes to.
When you go to the pharmacy to collect the medicine, you’ll need to confirm who you’re collecting it for.
If it’s a paper prescription, you need to collect the prescription from a GP surgery and take it to a pharmacy.
When you collect the medicine from a pharmacy, you’ll be asked to fill in the back of a prescription form and sign it. Or the patient can complete the back of the form before you take it to the pharmacy.
Controlled medicines
If you’re collecting a controlled medicine for someone, the pharmacist may ask you to show proof of your identity.
You may be asked to complete and sign the back of the prescription form for controlled drugs (CDs).
Controlled medicines include morphine, temazepam, tramadol and methadone.