Order a Repeat Prescription

Each year 25% of the population visit their GP for a respiratory tract infection (eg sinus, throat or chest infection). These are usually caused by viruses.

For patients who are otherwise healthy, antibiotics are not necessary for viral infections.

These infections will normally clear up by looking after yourself at home with rest, plenty of fluids and paracetamol.

Ear infections typically last 4 days

89% of cases clear up on their own

A sore throat typically lasts 7 days

40% of cases clear up after 3 days and 90% after 7 days without antibiotics

Sinusitis typically lasts 17 days

80% clear up in 14 days without antibiotics

Cough/bronchitis typically lasts 21 days

Antibiotics reduce symptoms by only 1 day

Antibiotics only work for infections caused by bacteria.

Taking unnecessary antibiotics for viral infections should be avoided because they may not be effective next time you have a bacterial infection.

If you are suffering with chronic pain and managing with medication, maybe there are different ways to deal with your pain. This link will help you manage you pain and look at alternative options to medication

NHS England — South West » Opioid prescribing for chronic pain

In an emergency, when the surgery is closed, a pharmacist can supply repeat medications without a prescription if the pharmacist deems that there is an immediate need for the medicine.  

In accordance with NHS recommendations most prescriptions will have the generic name rather than the brand name. The effectiveness and safety of the generic preparation is identical to that of the brand name. If you are at all uncertain please check with us.

A generic drug or other product is one that does not have a trademark and that is known by a general name, rather than the manufacturer’s name.

If you are concerned about taking medication abroad you can visit your local community pharmacy who are well placed to provide the information that is needed, and can also advise on a wide range of travel-related health issues.

When you are discharged from Hospital you should normally receive seven days supply of medication.

On receipt of your discharge medication, which will be issued to you by the Hospital, please contact the Surgery to provide them with this information before your supply of medication has run out.

Hospital requests for change of medication will be checked by a prescribing clinician first, and if necessary a prescribing clinician will provide you with a prescription on request. 

The Doctors have taken the decision not to prescribe diazepam in cases where the there is a fear of flying. There are a number of reasons for this that are set out below.

1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.

2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours. 3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number of people experience the opposite effect and may become aggressive. Benzodiazepines can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.

4) According to the national prescribing guidelines that doctors follow (the British National Formulary, or BNF) benzodiazepines are not allowed to be prescribed in cases of phobia. Thus your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing diazepam for fear of flying as it is going against these guidelines. Benzodiazepines are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.

5) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.

6) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.

We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines. We have listed a number of these below.

Easy Jet – Tel 0203 8131644
Fearless Flyer EasyJet

British Airways – Tel 01252 793250
Flying with confidence

Virgin – Tel 01423 714900
Flying without fear

Specialists will often suggest particular medication at a hospital appointment and ask us to prescribe for you. To ensure your safety we do need to receive written information from the specialist before prescribing. Sometimes a medicine is suggested that is not in our local formulary. There is nearly always a close alternative, and specialists are told that we sometimes make suitable substitutions when you are referred. We will always let you know if this is the case.

The Doctors at the Practice regularly review the medication you are taking. This may involve changes to your tablets and is in accordance with current Health Authority policies. Please be reassured that this will not affect your treatment. We may sometimes call you in for a medication review and this may involve blood tests. It is very important that you attend these appointments, as it keeps you safe whilst taking medication.

Please book your medications review appointment at least 10 days before your medication runs out.

Non-repeat prescriptions, known as ‘acute’ prescriptions are medicines that have been issued by the Doctor but not added to your repeat prescription records. This is normally a new medication issued for a trial period, and may require a review visit with your Doctor prior to the medication being added onto your repeat prescription records.

Some medications are recorded as acute as they require to be closely monitored by the Doctor. Examples include many anti-depressants, drugs of potential abuse or where the prescribing is subject to legal or clinical restrictions or special criteria. If this is the case with your medicine, you may not always be issued with a repeat prescription until you have consulted with your Doctor again.

A GP, nurse or pharmacist will generally not give you a prescription for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for a range of minor health conditions.

GPs are often asked to prescribe over-the-counter medication to satisfy nurseries and schools. This is a misuse of GP time, and is not necessary.

A GP in the surgery can only provide a private prescription if the medication is not available on the NHS.

A private prescription is not written on an official NHS prescription and so is not paid for by the NHS. A prescription is a legal document for which the doctor, who has issued and signed it, is responsible. A doctor you see privately is unable to issue an NHS prescription.

The cost of a private prescription is met wholly by the patient and is dictated by the cost of the medicine plus the pharmacists charge for supplying it.

Patient information on sleeping tablets

The following advice applies to people prescribed benzodiazepines, such as temazepam, loprazolam, lormetazepam, nitrazepam, and “Z” drugs, such as zaleplon, zolpidem, and zopiclone.

Why are doctors reluctant to prescribe sleeping tablets?

Sleeping tablets may cause significant problems, which include:

Drowsiness and clumsiness: People taking sleeping tablets are known to have more accidents such as falls and car-related incidents, therefore it may not be safe to drive or operate machinery. Older people taking sleeping tablets have an increased risk of falling and sustaining bone fractures such as hip injury.

Mood and mental changes: Some people can become aggressive, confused, forgetful, or depressed.

Dependence and tolerance: Your body may rapidly get used to the effect of sleeping tablets, hence they may fail to help if you keep taking them. Some people may become addicted to sleeping tablets (i.e. dependence problems), which may make it difficult to stop taking them and may cause withdrawal symptoms. Typical withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, panic attacks, sweating, headaches, and shaking. Other symptoms may include the inability to sleep, sickness, or being oversensitive to light and sound.

Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and death: There is evidence that people who take sleeping tablets are at increased risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and premature death.

Advice if a sleeping tablet is prescribed:

Sleeping tablet prescriptions will usually only last for a short period such as a week or so. Please do not ask for more, or for it to be added to your repeat prescription.

If you feel drowsy the next day, do not drive or operate machinery.

Avoid alcohol.

Never give your sleeping tablets to anyone and always keep them in a safe place such as a locked cupboard.

IMPORTANT. Do not stop taking your sleeping tablets suddenly if you have been taking them for longer than four weeks, as this may cause problems. Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss how to stop your sleeping tablets safely.

What if you have been taking sleeping tablets regularly for some time?

As a rule, you should consider reducing or stopping them with advice from your doctor. Do it gradually: reduce the dose a little at a time. There is a possibility that you will have worse sleep when undertaking a tablet reduction regime. However, most people who reduce or stop sleeping tablet medication say they feel much better mentally and physically when they have stopped taking the tablets. There are leaflets available from your practice or pharmacy to help you with coping strategies, and tips on how to improve your sleep pattern naturally.

Benzodiazepines and driving:

The DVLA is responsible for deciding if a person is medically unfit to drive. A significant number of drivers (25%) involved in road traffic accidents have impaired driving skills owing to alcohol, drugs, or illness. Some sleeping tablets have legally-set blood level limits that police can test for if your driving is considered impaired. This is similar to blood alcohol levels. It is the responsibility of the licence holder to inform the DVLA of any medical condition that may affect safe driving. Failure to notify the DVLA if you have, or have had, these problems is a criminal offence that may lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

It is the responsibility of your GP to ensure that all steps are taken to maintain the safety of the patient and the general public. These issues will be discussed when you attend the appointment regarding your prescription.

WARNING: Benzodiazepines make you sleepy. If this happens do not drive or use tools or machines. Do not drink alcohol.

What is the alternative to sleeping tablets?

Look for possible causes of sleeplessness such as pain, indigestion, breathlessness, or itching. These may interfere with your sleep, but can often be treated without sleeping tablets. Check with your doctor or pharmacist whether any other medicines you are taking are likely to cause sleep problems.

Use the “good sleep guide”. Copies are available from your GP practice and include helpful advice on how to get a good night’s sleep. Good sleep patterns can take weeks to establish, but be confident and you will get there in the end!

Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can give you advice on how to tackle poor sleep without drug intervention. Advice includes reducing the intake of stimulants such as tea, cola, and energy drinks that contain caffeine, more exercise and suggestions to improve your bedtime routine.

If you are staying outside the practice area for holidays, work etc. we are unable to send prescriptions by post/email/fax. You should register with a practice as a temporary resident and request the medication. The Practice will contact us to confirm what medication you are currently being prescribed. Alternatively depending on your location some pharmacies may be able to provide the medication for you.

STOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines. It is a national project involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the over use of these medicines.  STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life.

It is well worth keeping a small stock of useful medicines at home in your (locked) first aid cupboard. For instance, pain killers (analgesics) such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or aspirin (children under 16 and people with asthma should not take aspirin), or Ibuprofen syrups  for children, Mild laxatives, Anti-diarrhoeal medicines, Indigestion remedy (for example, antacids) Travel sickness tablets, and Sunscreen – SPF15 or higher Sunburn treatment (for example, calamine). For more detail see NHS UK Medicine Chest.