Order a Prescription

Online Prescription Ordering 

It is extremely helpful if you can order your medications online. This saves time and is more efficient and less wasteful than other options. 

You can order a prescription online in the following way:

  • Via the NHS App 
  • Or another online application linked to your medical records e.g. Airmid App

If you cannot order your medication online, please contact us by phone (0114 261 7245) or email (syicb-sheffield.pagehallmc@nhs.net) to discuss alternative arrangements. 

Repeat Prescriptions 

Repeat prescriptions are for patients with long-term medical conditions who receive regular treatment. 

Repeat medications are usually authorised for 1 year, which means that you should be able to order your medication on a regular basis (usually every 4 or 8 weeks) without any delay until your annual review is due. 

You can order your medications online 7 days before you need them. This avoids over-ordering and wasted medications. 

It will take up to 72 hours for us to process your request. 

Acute (non-repeat) Prescriptions 

Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute’ prescriptions are medicines that have been issued by the clinician but not added to your repeat prescription records. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period and may require a review with your clinician before the medication is added to your repeat prescription records. Some medications are recorded as acute as they need to be closely monitored by your clinician eg strong pain medication, anti-depressants and drugs of potential addiction or abuse. 

Prescriptions started by your hospital specialist 

Please note these are normally non-urgent and can take several working days to process, depending on when we receive the information from the specialist. 

If you have a hospital prescription you should exchange this at the hospital pharmacy, as they are not accepted in community pharmacies. 

Medication we cannot prescribe: 

Due to costs to the NHS, as well as new research into the benefits of certain medications, we can no longer prescribe the following medications, although most of them are available to buy from pharmacies and supermarkets: 

  • Painkillers for short-term use eg paracetamol & ibuprofen
  • Cold and flu remedies 
  • Muscle rubs 
  • Vitamin D supplements 
  • Hay fever medications 
  • Gluten-free foods (for adults)?? 
  • Some shampoos 
  • Some mouthwashes 
  • Toothpaste 
  • Some skin creams 
  • Socks

We are also instructed to prescribe less expensive substitutes in some cases, for example:  

  • Calci-D tablets 
  • Zeroveen or Aproderm creams instead of Aveeno cream 
  • Moisturing cream instead of bath oils and shower gels 
  • The same medication with a different name (brand) 

To learn more, click on the link below:  

https://www.sheffieldccg.nhs.uk/Your-Health/medicines-you-can-buy-over-the-counter.htm 

Reauthorising your repeat prescriptions (your annual review)  

At least once a year, usually in your birthday month, we need to review your medications and reauthorise them for another year. This often involves seeing one of our health care assistants for blood tests, blood pressure and weight checks, plus other tests depending on your health needs. 

One of our practice nurses will then review conditions such as diabetes, asthma & COPD, following which a practice pharmacist will review your test results and your medications with you to check that your treatments are still right for you. 

There may be a delay in you receiving your prescriptions if there is a delay in this process, so please be prepared, around your birthday month, to see or speak to us for your annual review. 

Nominate (choose) your chemist 

All prescriptions are sent electronically to the chemist of your choice. If you do not have a chemist we will allocate one for you. You can ask your chemist to update your preference or ask the surgery staff to do this. You can change your chosen chemist at any time. 

Trouble remembering your tablets?

If you are having problems remembering to take your regular medications, you can buy daily or weekly pill boxes which you or someone you trust can fill in advance. 

If this is not possible, you can ask your chemist to do this for you, but this process is quite costly to the NHS so is reserved for those people who have no one else to help them with this. 

NHS prescription costs 

If you need help with NHS costs or need to find out if you can get free prescriptions, please click on the link for further information 

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs