Electronic Prescription Service
Have your prescription sent directly to a pharmacy of your choice!
The Electronic Prescription Service means that your GP can send your prescription electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. Over 90% of Somerset practices are currently able to offer this service.
Benefits – what does it mean for me?
- The prescription is an electronic message so there is no paper prescription to lose.
- You will have more choice about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy near to where you live, work or shop.
- If the prescription needs to be cancelled the GP can electronically cancel and issue a new prescription without you having to return to the practice – saving you extra trips.
- If you collect repeat prescriptions
- You will not need to visit your GP practice just to pick up your paper prescription. Instead, your GP will send the prescription electronically to the place you choose, saving you time; and
- You may not have to wait as long at the pharmacy as your repeat prescriptions can be made ready before you arrive.
Speak to your GP surgery to find out more, or ask at any pharmacy about adding a nomination for you.
electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) information for patients
In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), GPs and pharmacies are moving suitable patients to electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD). You might be suitable for eRD if you get regular or repeat medicines that don’t change. eRD means your GP can send your regular or repeat prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. You can then collect your medication from your pharmacy, or ask them to deliver it to your home.
Watch this video to understand how eRD can help make your life easier if you have repeat medicines.
What eRD means for you
eRD allows your GP to send a series of repeat prescriptions to your pharmacy in one go, so there’s no need for you to order them each time. It’s reliable, secure and confidential. Your regular prescriptions are stored securely on the NHS database, so they’ll be ready at the pharmacy each time you need them.
If you get regular or repeat medicines, you might be suitable for eRD. Using eRD, you can:
- save time by avoiding unnecessary trips or calls to your GP every time you need to order a repeat prescription
- order or cancel your repeat prescriptions online (if your GP practice offers this service)
- pick up your repeat prescriptions directly from your pharmacy without having to visit your GP
- spend less time waiting for your prescription in the pharmacy or GP practice, which means you can stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact when you need your repeat prescription during the coronavirus pandemic
- save paper – you won’t need a paper prescription to collect your medicine from the pharmacy
It’s really easy to sign up for eRD – just ask your GP or pharmacist to set it up for you.
