Prescriptions can be requested when your supply is due within 2 weeks. 

Order via Patient Services - Preferred Option - you will need to attend the practice with photo ID to set up your online account first. 

Repeat prescriptions can also be ordered using the following methods:

• On repeat order form provided with your prescription
• Order via Repeat Prescription Form 
• E-mail to    clinical.s71449@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

In the interest of safety and accuracy, we cannot accept telephone requests for prescriptions.

Prescriptions can be collected from reception, from nearby chemists (see below) or by sending a stamp addresssed envelope provided by you.  

Our turnaround time for prescriptions is 3 working days. As we are closed on weekends any requests submitted over the weekend will be ready on Wednesday.

The following local chemists offer a collection service for your prescriptions:

• Lindsay & Gilmour  18-20 Comiston Road, Tel 447 2336
• Boots    207-209 Morningside Road, Tel 447 6188
• Boots    10a Buckstone Terrace, Tel 445 1157
• Co-op    55a Mayfield Road, Tel 667 1992
• Hutchison   2 Fountainhall Road, Tel 667 2151
• Lorimer    153 Morningside Road, Tel 447 2041
• Fountainbridge Pharmacy   179 Dundee Street, Tel 229 8281

Patients on repeat medication will be asked to see a doctor, nurse practitioner or practice nurse at least once a year to review these regular medications and notification should appear on your repeat slip.

Please ensure that you book an appropriate appointment to avoid unnecessary delays to further prescriptions.

We regret to inform you that we have had to make the difficult decision to restrict some of our offered services due to staff shortages.

This is a situation out with our control. We will continue to strive to deliver the best care possible under these circumstance and thank you for your understanding.

Hermitage Medical Practice Policy on Patients on Prolonged Stays Outside The UK - Medication and Phone calls

Medication While Travelling Abroad

A limited supply of repeat mediation can be supplied (maximum 3 months, may be less). ‘Just in case’ medications may sometimes be prescribed but will attract a charge payable at the pharmacy as the NHS does not cover treatment for conditions that may occur while abroad.  Please note some frequent Q&A below:

Can my GP prescribe extra medication while I go abroad?

If you need medication for a stable, long-term health condition, your GP can only supply a maximum supply of up to 3 months.

However this depends on:

• How long your GP thinks you need to continue your medication
• How often your treatment needs to be reviewed

In that case your doctor may be only able to supply an amount for less than 2 months. This is because a doctor remains clinically responsible for a patient as long as they are prescribing for them, and they may also be infringing local laws and regulations by treating patients who are not in the UK.

2) What if I am abroad for longer than 3 months?

Your GP can only prescribe a maximum of 3 months treatment, and you will need to make arrangements to get more at your destination. This may be by:

• Registering with a doctor in the country you are visiting
• Buying the medication from a pharmacist while you are away

If a person is going abroad for more than 3 months then only a sufficient supply of his/her regular medication can be provided to enable them to get to their destinations and find an alternative supply. This is the maximum a person is entitled to under NHS care if they are leaving the country for more than three months. In fact some Health Boards instruct their GPs to remove patients from their lists who are abroad for more than 3 months.

NHS prescriptions should never be obtained by relatives or friends on behalf of patients who are currently abroad, irrespective of factors such as owning a house in the UK or paying UK taxes. Patients are also responsible for ensuring that any drugs they take into a country conform to local laws.

What if I offer to pay for my prescription?

The GP still remains medico-legally responsible for this prescription (see above).

Can I get medication in case I am ill abroad?

If the GP does agree to prescribe medication in case you are ill abroad, as this is not covered by the NHS it will be on a private prescription which you will have to pay for at the pharmacy.

Patients Phoning For Advice While Abroad.

GPs are not legally covered to treat patients who are not currently in the UK, even via a telephone consultation. They could also be breaching local laws and professional regulations of the country where the patient is currently staying. Therefore while patients may call to book appointments, get results etc, they will not be able to have a phone consultation, in any form, from a GP.

 Information is taken from the, BMA website, nhs.uk website, other government websites and represents current government and legal advice.

We are aware that many of our patients seek specialist opinions in the private sector. Frequently, we are involved in the referral process however in some situations patients instigate their own referrals.
Regardless of the referral pathway please be aware that as GPs funded by the NHS, we are not always in a position to provide medications recommended by private practitioners. At the point of seeking a private referral it should not be your expectation that we will be able to provide you with the recommended treatment and you may have to fund this yourself.

This is for a number of reasons including;

• the use of treatments that lie beyond our area of expertise
• the use of treatments that are not prescribed in line with the local prescribing guidelines. Such guidelines exist to ensure safety and value for money for NHS patients.
• the use of treatments by private providers that involve a degree of specialist monitoring and surveillance that we are not funded to undertake

As an NHS funded service we are currently working under significant pressure and it is essential that we utilise the time and resources at our disposal to maximise the delivery of NHS care.