Dr D J O Briengmc No: 2729264 Hallwood Health Centre

Brookvale Practice

Dr D J O’BrienGMC No: 2729264 Hallwood Health Centre

Dr P M AbbottGMC No: 2827667 Hospital way

Sister June Rhodes MSc 83J1796E Runcorn

Dr R J Jellyman GMC No: 6155541 WA7 2UT

Tel: 01928 718182 Fax: 01928 719643

RE: Important changes to “repeat prescription” ordering

Dear Patient

Youhavereceived thisletterbecause our records show that youhaveatleast onemedicineon“repeatprescription”,meaningamedicinethatyoucan order regularlywithouthavingtoseeyourdoctoreachtime you need it.

What is changing?

From4th September 2017, we, along with all other Runcorn practices, will only accept repeat prescription requests from you, your carer or a family member/friend - NOT from your pharmacy.

What is not changing?

• If you already order repeat prescriptions directly with this practice, this change will not affect you.
• Pharmacies that already collect prescriptions from GP practices will continue to do so.
• Pharmacies that deliver medications to your door will continue to do so.
• At this time these changes do not affect patients who currently receive their medication in blister packs or prescriptions ordered via appliance contractors e.g. for specialist feeds, stoma and continence appliances.

Why is this happening?

This change is being introduced for a number of reasons:

• Ordering your repeat prescription direct from your practice allows direct communication about the medicines that you do and do not use. This will help your discussions about choosing the right medication.
• Under the old system some patients reported that they began to build up a large stock of unused medication. This means that a lot of this medication could not be stored safely or be used within the ‘use by’ date which is a safety concern.
• Changing how you order your repeat prescriptions can help reduce medicines waste. Medicines waste is estimated to cost NHS Halton over £700,000 every year. This money can be used to fund other vital health care services in Halton.

What do I need to do?

Your pharmacy will not be able to order your prescription on your behalf from September 2017.

If you currently order via your pharmacy as mentioned above you will need to arrange for your prescription to be ordered using one of the following options:

1. Patient Access Online - You can order your prescriptions on-line on your desktop, laptop or mobile. If you are not already registered for on-line access, then you can register by simply following the link below:

Registering in this way will allow you to order your repeat prescription as well as book appointments on-line.

Once you have completed the registration process the practice will receive notification and a member of our administration team will contact you to verify your registration.

1. Drop off or post the tick slip - This is the right-hand side of your prescription, selecting only the items you need. If you don’t have your slip, please put your request in writing, listing the medications you require.
2. Order via email- at providing the following, one email per patient, patient name, date of birth, address and items required.

Unfortunately we are unable to take prescription requests over the phone unless you are over 75 or housebound.

To avoid disappointment, please do not ring the practice to request your repeat prescription.

Remember to allow enough time when ordering your repeat prescription for those items that you need. You should order when you have 7 to 10 days of medicines left so that your prescription is ready to collect at the Practice or at your preferredPharmacy.

What will the practice do?

We will work with you to try and make it as convenient as possible to order your prescription using the method that suits you best.

• We can help you to set up on-lineordering.
• Where possible, and at your request, we can forward your prescription to your preferred Pharmacy (please ensure that you have informed your pharmacy to collect your prescription).

Who to contact if you need more support

Ifyoufeelyoumightneedsupportorderingyourrepeatprescriptionoryouare a carer for someonewhomightneedhelp,pleasecontact, NHS HaltonCCGs PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) via:
Telephone: (Freephone) 0800 218 2333
Email:
Post: PALS (NHS)
Bevan House, 3rd Floor
65 Stephenson Way
Wavertree
Liverpool
L13 1HN

Yours sincerely,

Brookvale Practice

Please note we had to ensure that every patient who may be affected received a notification of thischange, so your household may have received more than one copy of this letter.