Medication

Please only request your repeat prescriptions when they are due

We will accept requests up to 3 days before the due date

 The easiest ways to order repeat prescriptions are:

• using your NHS account (through the NHS website or in the NHS App)
• Email kmicb.oakfield.rx@nhs.net for repeat prescription requests or any medication enquiries 

Your NHS app will show you all your repeat medicine and dosage and you can choose the ones you need.

You can also:

• bring the paper form to the surgery, Monday to Friday 

We do not take repeat prescription requests over the phone

Please allow 48 hours for your repeat prescription to be processed (This does not include weekends and Bank Holidays when the surgery is not open)

You will need to choose a pharmacy to collect your prescription from. We call this nominating a pharmacy.

You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time:

• on the app or website where you order repeat prescriptions
• at your GP practice
• at any pharmacy that accepts repeat prescriptions

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is an NHS service. It gives you the chance to change how your GP sends your prescription to the place you choose to get your medicines or appliances from.

What does this mean for you?

You will have more choice about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy near to where you live, work or shop.

For further information on:

• Choosing a pharmacy or other dispenser
• Cancelling or changing your choice of pharmacist or dispenser
• What can I do if I'm unhappy with the process?

Go to Electronic prescriptions .nhs.uk.

If you have questions about your medicine, your local pharmacists can answer these. They can also answer questions on medicines you can buy without a prescription.

The NHS website has information on how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions.

• Go to Medicines A to Z (nhs.uk)

If you would like to speak to someone at the surgery regarding your repeat prescription requests or any medication enquiries please email kmicb.oakfield.rx@nhs.net 

As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses such as:

• coughs
• colds
• sore throats
• tummy trouble
• aches and pains

They can also advise on medicine that you can buy without a prescription.

• Find a pharmacy (nhs.uk)

Many pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You do not need an appointment.

Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

Fear of Flying

We are often asked to prescribe sedative drugs, such as Diazepam, for fear of flying. Oakfield Health Centre does not prescribe such sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partner and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. There are several good reasons why prescribing of drugs such as Diazepam is not safe or recommended.

In the UK Diazepam is a controlled drug. The prescribing guidelines doctors must follow say that to treat short term ‘mild’ anxiety is inappropriate. They are only to be used short term for a ‘crisis in generalised anxiety’. But if you are having such a crisis, you are not likely to be fit to fly. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.

Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and slows your reaction times. If there is an emergency during the flight it may affect your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences not only for you but for others.

Taking Diazepam may also make you agitated and aggressive. These medicines can also cause disinhibition and lead to abnormal behaviours. This could not only affect your safety but also the safety of other passengers.

The sedative effects of these drugs can affect breathing and cause low oxygen levels, which could be life threatening, especially with the lower circulating oxygen levels on an aeroplane, in people with breathing problems or when combined with alcohol.

Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep; however, this is not a natural sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep, and this can increase your risk of developing a blood clot in your leg or lung. Blood clots are dangerous and can be fatal.

We recognise that fear of flying is real and frightening, and we don’t underestimate the impact it can have. We recommend tackling this properly by using self-help resources or considering one of the ‘Fear of Flying’ course run by many airlines. We do not recommend any specific course, but you may find the following links useful.          https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-manage-flight-anxiety

Procedures Performed By Other Organisations

We are often asked to prescribe sedative drugs, such as Diazepam, for procedures such as MRI scans or dental procedures. Oakfield Health Centre does not prescribe such sedatives for this reason. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partner and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. There are several good reasons why prescribing of drugs such as Diazepam is not safe or recommended.

Sedatives are medicines which make patients sleepy and relaxed. GPs are not trained to provide the correct level of sedation for a procedure / scan. Providing too little sedation won’t help you, providing too much sedation can make you too sleepy, which could lead to the procedure being cancelled.

Too much sedation can dangerously affect your breathing. After taking a sedative for a procedure or scan, you will need to be closely monitored to keep you safe.

Although diazepam makes most people who take it sleepy, in some rare situations it can have an opposite effect and make people aggressive or agitated.

Scans and hospital procedures are often delayed, therefore the team performing the procedure or scan should provide the sedation, to ensure you become sleepy and relaxed at the right time.

If you feel you need sedation in such circumstances, please speak to the team undertaking the procedure or scan, as they are responsible for providing this if needed.

Further information can be found by following this links –

For more information, please see the following patient information leaflet published by the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Sedation, analgesia and anaesthesia in the radiology department – Royal College of Radiologists

Safe Sedation Practice for Healthcare Professionals: Standards and Guidance – Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

Plan Ahead 

If you're taking medicines for a health condition, and you're planning on being away from home for a while, it's good to be prepared.

Please see further advice about the provision of healthcare services whilst abroad on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/

Going abroad for less than three months 

Your GP will usually be willing to prescribe up to a maximum of three months’ supply of your regular medicines. 

However, please be aware that if a medicine requires frequent monitoring or your clinical condition is not stable, it may not be appropriate for the GP to prescribe for such an extended period.

Note, in addition, that your GP is not responsible for prescribing medication required for conditions which may arise while travelling e.g. diarrhoea medicine, travel sickness, diazepam for anxious flyers. 

Going abroad for more than three months 

The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004, states that a person who leaves the UK with the intention of being away for a period of at least three months is removed from the doctor's list and, as a consequence, ceases to be eligible for NHS treatment.

If you are no longer resident in the UK and are living abroad, the NHS normally won't pay for any treatment or services. This includes people who are in receipt of UK state retirement pensions. No longer resident, means that you have left the country for more than three months. Therefore, you will have to obtain healthcare cover in the country you are in, or get private medical insurance. If you are going abroad for more than 3 months then all you are entitled to at NHS expense is a sufficient supply of your regular medication to get to the destination and find an alternative supply of that medication. The maximum quantity that can be supplied is sufficient for 3 months. You should take a copy of your repeat medication list with you. It may be worthwhile having your prescription translated into the language of the country or countries that you're visiting.

Travelling with your medication 

You will need to find out whether there are any restrictions on taking your medicines in and out of the UK or the country you are visiting, as some medicines that are available over the counter in the UK may be controlled in other countries and vice versa. If you're in any doubt, you should declare them at customs when you return. For example, some prescribed medicines, such as morphine, are controlled drugs, so the amount you can take abroad is limited.

If you need to take more than the maximum allowance with you, you'll need a special license from the Home Office. 
www.gov.uk/take-medicine-in-or-out-uk

Countries such as India, Pakistan and Turkey have very specific rules about medications that you can, or cannot, bring into the country. If you're unsure about taking your medication into a certain country, contact the appropriate embassy or high commission.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website provides the relevant contact details for every country. www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk

If you have a repeat prescription, we may ask you to come in for a regular review. We will be in touch when you need to come in for a review.

Find out more about prescription charges (nhs.uk).

Take it to the pharmacy you got it from or bring it in to the surgery. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.