Confidentiality

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases. Anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Suggestions & Complaints

We offer a Practice Complaints Procedure to deal with comments, suggestions and complaints about the services we provide.

Our Practice Manager, Rosemary Moore, will give you further information. Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problems that may occur.

You will be treated with respect and as a partner in your care. Being a partner means you have responsibilities too.

We will:

• Ensure our patients have 24-hour access to medical advice.
• Aim for you to have access to a suitably qualified medical professional within 48 hours of your initial contact during surgery hours, or in an urgent case, the same day.
• Work in partnership with you to achieve the best medical care possible.
• Involve you and listen to your opinions and views in all aspects of your medical care.
• The prevention of disease, illness and injury is a primary concern.

• Let us know if you intend to cancel an appointment or are running late.
• Treat staff with courtesy and respect. Reception staff may have to ask some personal questions to assist us in providing you with the best service
• Inform the practice staff of any alterations in your circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number. Please ensure that we have your correct telephone number, even if it’s ex-directory.

Medical students and Nursing students attend the practice from time to time. We hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice. However, you will be informed of their presence in advance, and if you do not want them to be present at a consultation, your wishes will be respected. This will not affect your treatment in any way.

NEWMARKET ROAD SURGERY

REPEAT PRESCRIBING POLICY (SUMMARY)

AIM

To provide a safe and efficient repeat prescribing and medicine review system to ensure effective appropriate treatment, provide monitoring of long term conditions and minimises patient harm, inappropriate requests, drug wastage and prescribing errors.

Ordering Repeat Prescriptions

Repeat prescriptions should ideally be requested by the patient.  The patient should only order items that they need between now and when their next repeat request is due.  Where a third party is responsible for the ordering of repeat prescriptions they should have the authority of the patient and be clear about which items are required.  Generally 56 days supply of medication will be provided but may vary at prescriber’s discretion.

Repeat prescriptions can be requested in the following ways (see Appendix 2)

  i.)    Using the “tear off” counterfoil from previous prescription or in writing.  This can be delivered to the surgery or posted with an enclosed SAE.

ii.)    By email via the Practice website www.newmarketroadsurgery.co.uk.

iii.)    By telephone (01603 621006).  While telephone requests are accepted, there is greater potential for prescription error and applications in writing are preferred.  However we understand that this can be difficult in some circumstances. Telephone requests are taken between 10am and 4pm.

iv.)    Via community pharmacist by prior arrangement.  Patients should allow 48 hours for repeat prescriptions to be generated. 

Issuing Repeat Prescriptions

Only competent and appropriately trained staff can print repeat prescriptions.  The request should be checked to ensure the patients intention is clear, and if unsure confirm the request with patient or their representative. 

If a medication review is due, unauthorised medication is requested or, if medicines are being over / under ordered, the staff member should inform the prescriber. 

Prescribing

The prescriber is responsible for ensuring that medication reviews and repeat authorisations are completed in a timely fashion.  They should check that drugs are still required and that any monitoring is up to date.  Medication review should be at least annual and more frequently in some circumstances.

When adding a repeat prescription, ensure that full dosage instructions are added for each item.

Any changes made by external prescribers e.g. admission to hospital, should be reconciled as soon as possible after discharge.

If poor compliance is suspected the doctor should discuss with the patient.  (see Appendix 1)

Storage

Prescriptions should be stored in a way that prevents unauthorised access.  They should be stored in a locked cupboard / drawer when the surgery is closed.

Collection of a Prescription

If the prescription is collected by someone other than the patient, Practice staff should request further detail e.g. confirmation of address before issuing the prescription. 

Drugs with potential for misuse should only be issued to the patient.

Repeat Prescribing Process

APPENDIX 1

Medication Review

Should be every 12 months but more frequently at doctors’ discretion.  These reviews do not have to be face to face but should include:

Review of medical problems / possible side effects

Review of effectiveness of medication

Any monitoring / tests required

Patients understanding of medication

Issues of compliance / concordance

OTC medicines

Practical issues -  containers / dosette boxes

Record any change on computer. 

APPENDIX 2

Information for patients (available on www.newmarketroadsurgery.co.uk)

What are Repeat Prescriptions?

They are prescriptions for your medication that you can order from the GP practice without having to see a prescriber each time.

Repeat prescriptions regularly need to be checked by a prescriber to make sure that your medication is working correctly.  Thus, you might only be able to order a certain number of repeat prescriptions before you have to see the prescriber.

On occasions the prescriber may request that you attend a medication review.  It is important that you do attend.

How to Order Repeat Prescriptions

Order your request prescription in plenty of time.  Allow at least 48 hours for your prescription to be available.  You can order your prescription in the following ways:

  i.)    If you order a repeat using the prescription counterfoil please tick the items carefully.  You may need to make an appointment for items not on the counterfoil

ii.)    If you order a repeat by telephone or email, please have full details of your medication to hand and order carefully

iii.)    Order only the items you need

iv.)    If you do not need a particular item one month, please do not order it

v.)    When you collect your prescription from the surgery, please check it for accuracy.  If there are errors or medications you do not require, please inform the receptionist

vi.)    If you agree that a community pharmacy can collect and/or deliver your prescription, then you must make it clear which pharmacy you have chosen

vii.)    If a carer or pharmacist is ordering your prescriptions on your behalf, please make sure they only order the items you need

viii.)    Please inform the practice if you receive any unexpected items

Taking Care of Your Medication

Know the names of all your medicines (these include tablets, capsules, inhalers, liquid medicines, testing strips and so on) and what they are used for.

If you cannot remember what the medicine is for then you can book a free  medicines use review (MUR) with your regular dispensing pharmacist.

If you stop taking a prescribed medication for any reason, please make an appointment to discuss how you feel about the medicine with a doctor or nurse.

If you need to take more or less of a medication than the pharmacy label allows, please discuss how you feel about the medicine with a doctor or nurse.

Do not take non-prescribed medication e.g. over the counter, health foods or herbal or Chinese medicines without checking with your prescriber or pharmacist.  It may interfere with your regular medication and may be harmful.

Medicines and Wastage

A large amount of medication is wasted every year.  Some of this is due to people ordering medication that they do not need or do not take.

If you have decided not to take a medicine (you should take advice from a doctor, nurse or pharmacist before stopping any medication) please do not re-order it.  Make an appointment with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist to discuss why you have made this decision.

Medicines that have been order and returned to the pharmacy cannot be reused even if they are unopened and must be destroyed.

You can help to reduce the amount of wastage by ordering only those items that you use and need.

Safe Disposal of Unwanted Medicines

Do not throw away unwanted medication and do not flush any down the toilet.

Always return expired, unused and unwanted medication to your local pharmacy.  They will dispose of it safely.

Written by Dr Copson July 2009

Review date  July 2012