Drug Safety Update (DSU)
Paracetamol and pregnancy – reminder that taking paracetamol during pregnancy remains safe.
Patients should be reminded and reassured that there is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children. Paracetamol is recommended as the first-choice pain reliever for pregnant women, used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration. It also acts as an antipyretic and is therefore used to treat fever. Patients should not stop taking their pain medicines as untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn child.
Access the Online System to Order your Repeat Prescriptions
If you have already registered for this service simply click the image below, this will take you to the Patient Services site to login.
Enjoy the convenience of GP online services with the ability to interact with your GP practice at any time of the day or night, wherever you are.
You can register to book appointments using a quick and simple online process. Completing the full registration process later opens up access to all online services.
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Prescriptions
- We remind patients that prescriptions can be ordered 7 days in advance
- We encourage and remind patients to allow sufficient time to order repeat prescriptions and have it dispensed prior to the practice closures expecially bank holidays..
- Nominate your chemist preference and your prescriptions will be available for collection within 72 hours. This is essential prior to bank holiday closures.
- Dalriada are for emergency clinical consultations, not for requesting prescriptions when there is a practice closure
- It is vital that patients take responsibility for their own medications and prescription ordering arrangements.
Guidance on Prescriptions after seeing a Private Practitioner
In Northern Ireland, most patients get their medical treatment from the Health and Social Care (HSC) service which means that you don’t need to pay anything for the treatment which includes:
- Seeing a healthcare professional such as a GP for advice and/or treatment
- Getting a prescription written for any medicines that you need
- Getting the prescription dispensed by a community pharmacist
- Receiving other treatment such as physiotherapy or having surgery
However sometimes patients may choose to have a private consultation and/or treatment. This is treatment that is provided outside the health service and usually has to be paid for. Please click the link below to download the patient information leaflet on ‘prescriptions after seeing a Private Practitioner’:
Wasting Medicines
Help Wipe Out Waste! by reviewing Multiple Prescription Usage and you could help Fund other Necessary NHS Treatments.
Paracetamol and Ibuprofen – Do you really need a prescription for over-the-counter medicines?
In Northern Ireland we spend more than £8 million annually on medicines which can easily be bought in local pharmacies and other retail outlets. This could pay for: Hip replacement operations, more treatments for breast cancer and more community nurses. Click the button below for further information and statistics.
Patient Information: on the responsible ordering and prevention of medicines waste
It is recommended that in the majority of cases patients should order their own prescriptions. In exceptional circumstances, the community pharmacist may be the most suitable person to provide support for patients with ordering their repeat medications e.g. for the very elderly, those with serious mental health illness or learning disabilities who do not have a representative such as a family member to do this for them.
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Prescription Ordering
atients are asked to order routine repeat prescriptions from the Practice through:
- Patient On-Line Services -24/7 access. Register at reception providing an email address.
- Via post, or via prescription collection box within the Practice.
- Local chemists accept written requests from Mon to Sat and have order boxes available in shops (no chemist tel orders accepted).
- If you are frail, elderly or housebound with no friend/family support for ordering of medication, please contact and advise reception.
- Whitehead
- Larne
- Carrickfergus
If the item is ordered after 16:30, allow 3 working days for collection from the following working day. Most prescriptions can be ordered 1 week in advance.
Re-authorisation of Repeat Medications
Repeat medications are set up for a set number of issues and then have to be re-authorised by the Doctor in order to ensure medication review and good clinical management is adhered to. This process will take place for all patients including those on long term repeat medications.
Holiday Script Requests
- Please indicate the date of your holiday and expected duration when additional medication is required
- Please allow 48 hours notice for medication orders if collecting at reception.
- Please allow 72 hours notice for medication orders if collecting at chemist
- Prescriptions issued from a Triage telephone consultation will be ready for collection at the chemist after 4:30pm on the day.
Additional Information
GP practices in line with HSCB recommendations on good practice have been asked to encourage patients to take responsibility for ordering their own prescriptions unless there are exceptional circumstances. Direct contact between the patient and surgery reduces the potential for misunderstanding and the risk of error. If support is required the patient should nominate a representative such as a family member; however, there may be exceptional circumstances where the community pharmacist is the most suitable person. Repeat medications and appliances cannot be supplied by a pharmacy in the absence of a prescription (with the exception of an emergency supply).
Repeat medications are set up for a set number of issues and then have to be re-authorised by the Doctor in order to ensure medication review and good clinical management. This process will take place for all patients including those on long term repeat medications.
Click below for information on ‘The Right Medicine for you’
Chemist Preference
Inital Registration for Chemist Collections must be completed at Reception in person as a Consent Form has to be signed. Following this, you may select a chemist option when ordering prescriptions on line if you would like to pick up your prescriptions from the local chemist.
Please allow 2 full working days for prescriptions to be ready for collection at the Practice and 3 full working days at the Chemist. This excludes weekends and bank holidays.