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Pharmacy Voice (PV) and PSNC have published joint guidance on the management of repeat medication requests, in response to plans to restrict the way these services are delivered.

Repeat medication services ensure that patients have convenient and timely access to medicines, as well as reducing administrative burdens on GPs and community pharmacies. 

Recently, several clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and GPs have expressed concerns that these services could lead to medicines waste or mismanagement. Some CCGs are considering limiting the ordering of prescriptions from GPs to patients and/or introducing a prescription ordering direct (POD) service run centrally by the CCG. 

PSNC and Pharmacy Voice acknowledge that there is scope for improvement, but are concerned that the changes could have unintended consequences for patients, particularly those who are vulnerable, time-poor or who have difficulty navigating GP systems without assistance.

The guidance €“ available via psnc.org.uk €“ is intended to help pharmacy professionals explain the benefits of repeat prescription services and discuss possible solutions to issues, such as improving uptake of electronic repeat dispensing, with local stakeholders. 

Kim Packham, senior policy adviser at PV, said: €NHS England estimates that if 80 per cent of repeat prescriptions were prescribed via repeat dispensing, 2.7 million hours of general practice surgery time could be saved.€