Important Changes to Repeat Prescription Ordering from September 2026

From 1 September 2026, community pharmacies and other third parties will no longer be able to request repeat prescriptions directly from GP practices on behalf of patients. This is part of a wider NHS move to encourage safer prescribing, improve patient awareness of medications, and reduce unnecessary waste.

For many patients, this will mean a small but important change in how regular medications are ordered.

What This Means for Patients

If you currently rely on your pharmacy to automatically request your medication, you will now need to place your repeat prescription request yourself. Your pharmacy will still be able to dispense and deliver your medication once the prescription has been issued by the practice — only the ordering process is changing.

We understand that this may feel unfamiliar at first, particularly for patients who have used pharmacy ordering services for many years. Our team is committed to making the transition as smooth as possible and helping patients understand the different ways they can continue to manage their medication safely and conveniently.

Why Is This Change Happening?

The change has been introduced to help:

• Reduce medication waste caused by medicines being ordered unnecessarily
• Ensure prescriptions reflect what patients actually need
• Support safer prescribing and better use of NHS resources

Nationally, large quantities of unused medicines are returned or discarded each year. By asking patients to request only the medicines they need, the NHS hopes to reduce avoidable waste while improving medication safety.

How to Order Your Repeat Prescription

Patients will still be able to order repeat medications:

• Using the NHS App
• Contacting the dispensary directly - 01200 401254
• By dropping repeat request slips through to the dispensary

If you have not used the NHS App before, now may be a good time to get set up. It allows you to request repeat prescriptions, view your medical record, and access a range of NHS services securely from your phone or computer.

If your pharmacy currently manages your prescription requests, we recommend choosing your preferred new ordering method before September 2026 so the transition is as easy as possible.