Prescriptions Dispensing

Repeat Prescriptions

 

Those patients who are on regular prescriptions for chronic conditions are entered into our repeat prescription programme, whereby repeat prescriptions can be ordered and collected without seeing the Doctor every time.

 

Each time you receive a prescription, there will be an accompanying sheet listing all the repeat prescriptions you can have. When these are next needed, tick those you require and return the slip to the surgery. Please allow 48 hours for the processing of repeat prescriptions.

 

If you are a Dispensing patient, you can put your request into the box at the Dispensing counter, or post or fax your request to the Surgery. You will then be able to collect your medicines from the Dispensary after 48 hours.

 

You may bring your request to the Surgery in person, by post or by fax. If your wish to receive your signed prescription back by post, you should include a stamped addressed envelope.

 

Signed prescriptions ready to take to the Chemist will be available for you to collect after 48 hours.

 

Most of the local Chemists offer a service whereby you can leave your request slip with them, they then bring all the request slips from our patients to us and collect those that have already been processed and signed by a Doctor. They will then make up the processed prescription ready for you to collect. Please ask either your chemist or our Receptionist if you would like more information.

 

At the bottom of your printed list of drugs, you will find a ‘Review Date’. Please make an appointment with the doctor so that your medication and your general health can be reviewed.

 

We cannot take requests for repeat prescriptions over the phone- This can lead to mistake that may be harmful.

 

Dispensing

 

The rules of dispensing can appear quite complex and frustrating. Unfortunately they are NHS rules and regulations and we have to abide by them. We are only allowed to dispense to patients who live more than 1 mile (1.6km) from a chemist and that mile has to be measured in a direct line from the chemist to the patient’s house.

 

If we can dispense to you, you will be informed on registration. You will them be able to get all of your medicines directly from our dispensary. The dispensers will also deal with your repeat prescription requests.

 

Services

 

We are a General Medical Services (GMS) practice operating as an independent contractor to the local Primary Care Trust. The Trust can be contacted at: NHS West Sussex, 1 The Causeway, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, BN12 6BT. Phone: 01903 708400, Fax: 01903 700981.

 

We are contracted to provide the normal general practice services known as ‘essential’ and ‘additional’ services. We also provide a number of ‘enhanced services’. Below are some of the services we provide in special clinics for which you will need an appointment.

 

Coronary Heat Disease – patients who have been diagnosed with heart disease, or considered at risk because of other illnesses, will routinely be offered extended appointments with one of the Practice Nurses.

 

Asthma & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – patients who have either been diagnosed with either of these will routinely be offered appointments with one of the Practice Nurses. The Doctor may also refer you for Spirometry to one of the nurses. This is a specialised piece of equipment to measure your breathing and is useful to help the Doctor in diagnosing your problem.

 

Diabetes – Patients with this condition may be monitored by Annie and Joanna, or if your case is not straightforward, they may see you with a visiting Specialist Diabetic Nurse who visits from the hospital once a month.

 

Cervical Smears – These are carried out by all three of our Practice Nurses. Routine smears are advised on a 3 yearly basis for women between the ages of 25 – 35, and 5 yearly from the ages of 35-65.

 

New Patient Health Checks – These are offered to all patients registering at the Practice and we strongly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity.

 

Travel Medicine – A full range of advice and immunisation is offered by all our Practice Nurses, who have access to the latest WO recommendations. Please book an initial appointment for advice as soon as possible. Travel to distant destinations can involve quite complex immunisation schedules over several weeks and some immunisations take time to be fully effective. Please complete a Travel Health Questionnaire before arriving for the appointment. This can be obtained from Reception.

 

Cryotherapy – Cryotherapy is the freezing of common skin lesions such as warts, verrucae, skin tags, etc. You should see a Doctor in the Surgery first so they can assess whether your lesion is suitable. Please note this is only available for patients ages 8 years and over.

 

Minor Surgery – Dr Chishick and Dr Gorrie are accredited for this service. You will need to discuss this in the surgery with one of the doctors first.

 

Child Health Surveillance – This is the routine baby/developmental checks, in particular the 6 week check which is carried out by Dr Chishick. If you have a new baby you will automatically be offered an appointment for your baby when he or she is between 6 and 8 weeks. It is very important you bring your baby to this appointment. Other monitoring is done by the Health Visitor who also holds regular clinics at the Surgery on a Thursday afternoon.

 

Smoking Cessation – Our Practice Nurse Joanna is a trained smoking cessation adviser. If you wish to give up smoking, please make an appointment at Reception when you also be give an initial questionnaire to complete.

 

Family Planning – A full range of contraceptive services are offered by the Doctors in their routine surgeries. If, having discussed your options with a doctor, you decide to have a coil fitted, an appointment will be made for you at a suitable time with the doctor. If you wish to have a Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) implant, the appointment with be with Dr Gorrie or Nurse Annie who are qualified to insert and remove these. Coil fitting and LARCs may need to be done when Practice Nurse Joanna is available to assist. The Practice Nurses can all carry out routine check and prescribing.

 

Childhood Immunisations – These are carried out by all three nurses. You will receive automatic invitations when your child’s immunisations are due. Please make sure you contact us if you are unable to keep the appointment.

 

Other clinics include Hormone Replacement Therapy, Ear Syringing, and Well Man & Well Woman. Please contact Reception for more information.