Get Your Prescription

NHS Greater Manchester (GM) is supporting patients to use the NHS App.

From the 1st of February 2024 all patients (who are able to do so) will be able to request their own medication directly from their GP practice. This will mean that for the majority of patients, the pharmacy will no longer order prescriptions on their behalf.

The quickest and easiest way to order your repeat prescriptions is through the NHS app.

Repeat prescriptions can be ordered online using the NHS App.

If you are unable to use the above, you can also do the following:

Completing a prescription slip at the practice.
Completing the right-hand section of your previous prescription form and leaving it at the surgery

By using the NHS app, your submitted prescription request goes straight to the GP for sign-off. This means time is saved as the pharmacy and reception team don’t need to input your request into our clinical system. It also frees up our reception team to spend more time answering the phone, helping bring our call wait times down.

The app is easy to use and allows patients to choose where their prescription is sent. So, for example, if you know you’ll be away from home or you are moving house, you can change your nominated pharmacy from within the app. Patients can also order their prescription at any time that suits them. There’s no need to wait to join a telephone queue or wait until the GP surgery opens.

A ‘Help’ section within the app can guide patients if they hit a snag.

Get the NHS App today!

You can get the NHS app from the Google Play or the App Store. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can also log in using your computer through the NHS website.

If you already order your repeat prescriptions online, via the NHS App or another online platform used by your GP practice, these changes will not affect you.

Please note, to avoid dangerous mistakes we do not accept repeat prescription requests by telephone.

We aim to approve all repeat prescription requests within 48 hours, this can be longer in times of high demand. Please do not contact the surgery to query expected completion times – we work through them every day and will get to it as soon as we can.

If you are having problems setting up the NHS app, please get in touch with us – we will try to help!

Benefits of the new ways of ordering:

reducing medicine waste, as current arrangements mean that many medicines are routinely ordered but not needed
giving patients better control over the ordering of their own medication
improving safety by avoiding stockpiling of medication and preventing medication that has been stopped from being re-ordered by mistake
saving practice time with less time spent chasing and processing prescriptions, meaning staff can focus on offering more appointments and helping those unable to use the NHS App.

The exception will be patients who are unable to order their medication by any of the recommended routes, are vulnerable and/or housebound. GPs will work closely with pharmacies to ensure patients who require additional assistance (Assisted Patients) get special care and specific policies geared to their personal needs. This could mean that pharmacies continue to order on behalf of some patients, where all partners agree this is the best solution for a particular individual.

Medication reviews

We are keen to ensure that patients with ongoing medical problems are monitored regularly. If the date for your next review with a doctor or nurse has passed you will be asked to make an appointment.

Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)

This allows us to send your prescription directly to the pharmacy of your choice electronically without the need to print a paper prescription.

In order to be able to use EPS, you need to choose a pharmacy, this is called a nomination. You can do this through the NHS app.

If you don’t want your prescription to be sent electronically, please inform a member of the reception team and you can continue to collect your prescriptions as normal.

For more information about EPS please visit the NHS website here