Repeat Prescriptions

For common ailments your community pharmacist can give you advice and can give you medicine on the Pharmacy First scheme without you having to pay for it.  

You can receive advice and free treatment from the pharmacy  for complaints such as acne, athlete’s foot, backache, cold sores, constipation, cough, diarrhoea, earache, eczema, allergies, piles, hayfever, head lice, indigestion, mouth ulcers, nasal congestion, pain, period pain, thrush, sore throats, threadworms, warts and verrucae, impetigo, urine infection.

• Boots Halfway – 0141 641 3806
• Boots Main St – 0141 641 2698
• Dicksons – 0141 641 3892 or 0141 641 4667
• Burns – 0141 634 2750
• Lloyds – 0141 646 2970
• Dukes Rd – 0141 647 6203

Did you know you can recycle your inhalers at Boots Pharmacy in Hamilton Road, Halfway?  Please hand in used inhalers and the pharmacy will arrange recycling.

If you forget to obtain a prescription for repeat medication and thus run out of important medicines, you may be able to get help from your Pharmacy. Under the Urgent Provision of Repeat Medication Service, Pharmacists may be able to supply you with a further cycle of a previously repeated medicine, without having to get a prescription from your GP. 

If you have run out of important medication, telephone your usual Pharmacy to check that they offer this service; if they don’t, they may either direct you to another Pharmacy who does provide it, or ask you to phone 111 where you can request details of a local Pharmacy that provides the service.

You must then take with you to the relevant Pharmacy, proof of both your identification and of your medication (for example, your repeat prescription list or the empty box which should have your details printed on it). Please note that controlled drugs and antibiotics are not provided through this service, you will need to ring 111 for these.

If you receive stoma products from your Pharmacy or other supplier and/or receive items such as continence products, please ensure you have sufficient supplies as you may encounter difficulties in obtaining these over Bank Holidays, or when the Surgery is closed.

You can post your prescription slip or written request to us at the Practice. You must include a stamped addressed envelope for return by post if you will not be able to pick up your prescription from the Surgery (please allow extra time for any possible delays with the postal service).

You can order in person by returning the right-hand half of a previous prescription for the required medications, or by submitting a handwritten request. Please put your request in the box on the wall opposite the gate.

Pharmacies offer a prescription collection service from our Practice. We do not offer a managed repeat service (only for weekly / monthly boxes prepared by pharmacy). This saves you time and unnecessary visits to the Practice. Please contact the Pharmacy of your choice for more information if you wish to use this service.

To request a prescription by telephone please press option 2 and follow the instructions or call 0141 465 7495. Remember to state clearly what items you require. You can also leave requests for items not on repeat via this service. 

Each year 25% of the population visit their GP for a respiratory tract infection (eg sinus, throat or chest infection). These are usually caused by viruses.

For patients who are otherwise healthy, antibiotics are not necessary for viral infections.

These infections will normally clear up by looking after yourself at home with rest, plenty of fluids and paracetamol.

Ear infections typically last 4 days

89% of cases clear up on their own

A sore throat typically lasts 7 days

40% of cases clear up after 3 days and 90% after 7 days without antibiotics

Sinusitis typically lasts 17 days

80% clear up in 14 days without antibiotics

Cough/bronchitis typically lasts 21 days

Antibiotics reduce symptoms by only 1 day

Antibiotics only work for infections caused by bacteria.

Taking unnecessary antibiotics for viral infections should be avoided because they may not be effective next time you have a bacterial infection.

The NHS Chronic Medication Service is a voluntary service for people with long-term conditions. It’s available at all community pharmacies across Scotland.

You can only use this service if you’ve registered with a community pharmacy.

If you are concerned about taking medication abroad you can visit your local community pharmacy who are well placed to provide the information that is needed, and can also advise on a wide range of travel-related health issues.

The Doctors have taken the decision not to prescribe diazepam in cases where the there is a fear of flying. There are a number of reasons for this that are set out below.

1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.

2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours. 3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number of people experience the opposite effect and may become aggressive. Benzodiazepines can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.

4) According to the national prescribing guidelines that doctors follow (the British National Formulary, or BNF) benzodiazepines are not allowed to be prescribed in cases of phobia. Thus your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing diazepam for fear of flying as it is going against these guidelines. Benzodiazepines are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.

5) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.

6) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.

We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines. We have listed a number of these below.

Easy Jet – Tel 0203 8131644
Fearless Flyer EasyJet

British Airways – Tel 01252 793250
Flying with confidence

When you are discharged from Hospital you should normally receive seven days supply of medication.

On receipt of your discharge medication, which will be issued to you by the Hospital, please contact the Surgery to provide them with this information before your supply of medication has run out.

Hospital requests for change of medication will be checked by a prescribing clinician first, and if necessary a prescribing clinician will provide you with a prescription on request. 

Specialists will often suggest particular medication at a hospital appointment and ask us to prescribe for you. To ensure your safety we do need to receive written information from the specialist before prescribing. Sometimes a medicine is suggested that is not in our local formulary. There is nearly always a close alternative, and specialists are told that we sometimes make suitable substitutions when you are referred. We will always let you know if this is the case.

The Doctors at the Practice regularly review the medication you are taking. This may involve changes to your tablets and is in accordance with current Health Authority policies. Please be reassured that this will not affect your treatment. We may sometimes call you in for a medication review and this may involve blood tests. It is very important that you attend these appointments, as it keeps you safe whilst taking medication.

Non Repeat Prescriptions known as ‘Special Requests’ are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period and may require a review visit before being added to repeat. Some medications require to be closely monitored and will remain as a special request.

You may therefore not always be issued with your requested medicines and we ask you to contact the surgery to check if your request has been authorised. Our practice pharmacist is involved in authorising special requests so may contact you to discuss.

Please allow 48 hours for prescriptions to be processed and take into account weekends and bank holidays. If you do run out of medication your community pharmacist may be able to give you a supply.

The practice will no longer participate in the managed repeat service previously provided by local pharmacies with the exception of patients in receipt of a dossette box.

You can still have your prescription sent to a pharmacy of your choice but you will need to order your prescription directly from the practice.

You can use NHS Pharmacy First Scotland if you are registered with a GP practice in Scotland or you live in Scotland.

Conditions you can get help for

Your pharmacist can advise you about conditions such as:

• Acne
• Allergies
• Athlete’s foot
• Backache
• Blocked or runny nose
• Cold sores
• Constipation
• Cough
• Cystitis (in women)
• Diarrhoea
• Earache
• Eczema
• Headache
• Headlice
• Haemorrhoids (piles)
• Hay fever
• Impetigo
• Indigestion
• Mouth ulcers
• Pain
• Period pain
• Shingles
• Some skin conditions such as cellulitis or insect bites
• Sore throat
• Threadworms
• Thrush
• Urinary tract infections (UTI’s)
• Verrucas
• Warts

The practice is in the process of switching some patients on long term unchanged medications to a serial prescription. If your prescription is switched to this service you will only have to contact the practice every 6 or 12 months to order your repeat prescription.  Your prescription will still be dispensed from the pharmacy of your choice every 4 or 8 eight weeks as it is currently.  Your pharmacy will provide you with an information leaflet if your prescription is switched to this service. Information can be found at The NHS Medicines: Care and Review service at your local pharmacy.

You may have noticed that the label on your painkiller medicine says: “May cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.”

Your doctor or nurse may also have discussed side effects of your painkillers with you.gen

Strong painkillers (or opioids) affect each person in a different way. They can make some people drowsy and reactions can be slower than usual. This may be worse if you take other medicines that cause drowsiness or if you drink alcohol. If you are someone who drives you may be wondering if it is safe for you to drive. The following information will help you to decide.

• You must not drive if you feel sleepy
• You must not drive after drinking alcohol or taking strong drugs which have not been prescribed or recommended by your doctor for example, cannabis.
• You must not drive if you start taking other drugs that cause sleepiness, either prescribed by your doctor or bought from the chemist for example, hay fever medicine.
• You must not drive on days where you have had to take extra (breakthrough or rescue) doses of a strong painkiller.

If you are staying outside the practice area for holidays, work etc. we are unable to send prescriptions by post/email/fax. You should register with a practice as a temporary resident and request the medication. The Practice will contact us to confirm what medication you are currently being prescribed. Alternatively depending on your location some pharmacies may be able to provide the medication for you.