Repeat Prescriptions
With each computerised prescription you will receive a tear-off slip. This lists all the items you have been prescribed for repeated use. Please return this to the surgery only if your unable to use Systmonline we will require you to pick a local chemist to collect your medication or a SAE if you wish it to be posted back to you, you can no longer collect paper prescriptions from the surgery.
Please can you indicate which items you require.
We can normally process prescriptions within 24hrs, but we appreciate 72 hours’ notice if possible. In an emergency only, telephone requests will be accepted. Some of the local chemists may be able to deliver your prescription if you are housebound. You will need to discuss this with your chosen chemist.
You and your medication will need to be reviewed periodically – your doctor will write to you when this is due.
To use the SystmOnline web service, you need a username and password which is generated by the surgery.
Prescriptions for Sedative Medication
Following review and update of our Practice Prescribing Policy, we are no longer able to prescribe medication in this situation. This is due a number of reasons the most important being patient safety. It has been established for some time there are increasing concerns around patient safety when prescribing sedating medication and the potential for serious harm or even death.
Examples of medication used in this situation can include:
- Diazepam
- Lorazepam
- Temazepam
- Other benzodiazepines
- Zopiclone or other “Z” drugs
NHS GP Practices have reported seeing increasing requests for a prescriber to issue patients with a prescription for sedating medication for patients due to have
- Radiological investigations such as MRI scans
- Dental treatment
- Invasive procedures such as blood tests
It is widely accepted that sedated patients should be regularly monitored in an appropriate clinical environment to ensure no adverse effects occur secondary to the use of sedating medication. As GPs / prescribers we are aware of a case where a GP-provided sedative was taken by a patient before undergoing MRI scanning. The patient was not monitored appropriately during the scan and subsequently had a respiratory arrest (stopped breathing) inside the MRI scanner. Life-saving emergency resuscitation was required to avoid the possibility of serious harm of even death.
It should be noted that GPs and other clinical prescribers are not required nor obliged to prescribe sedating medication and this includes prescribing for patients who have had this regularly in the past. We would also highlight the following:
– Benzodiazepines such at 2mg diazepam are probably sub-therapeutic for most adults for any effective sedation. Conversely anxiolytics can have an idiosyncratic response in patients, and even very small doses can cause increased agitation in some subsets of patients. A patient may take a sedative ‘an hour’ before their assumed procedure, to then attend the hospital to find their procedure has been delayed, therefore the timing of the anxiolytic being sub optimal.
– GPs are not regularly involved, trained or appraised in sedation skills and as prescribers we must always ensure any treatment given is appropriate to our scope of practice and level of training. Safe and effective analgesia and sedation should be delivered by an appropriately trained and credentialed team with good access to anaesthetics, pre-procedure assessment, sedation plan and checklist, with appropriate monitoring and availability of resuscitation equipment and reversal agents.
– In particular it should be noted that Dental Surgeons are fully qualified and able to prescribe a wide variety of medications including sedative medication so should always be consulted if the indication relates to dental work.
If you wish to review this information with your GP please feel free to make a routine appointment to see if there are safer more appropriate alternatives for you.
Please note we will NOT issue urgent or emergency prescriptions sedative medication in these circumstances.