Repeat Prescriptions

Repeat Prescriptions

One concern when continuously cruising on a narrowboat on the UK's Inland Waterways and taking long term medication is, "how do I get my repeat prescriptions and how then do I get them filled?" It takes a little thought and forward planning but it can be done!

I use a couple of methods.

• I am registered on EMISS for my GP surgery
  • In theory, this means that I can order my medication on the internet and it can be collected at my home surgery, if I am within reach.

This is very often not possible, so this is the method we have worked out:

• I send my Repeat Prescription request to my GP surgery by post.
  
  • We look ahead on our route and, via the internet, identify a dispensing chemist in an area that we can stop and moor for up to a week.
  • I ring the chemist to confirm that they will accept the prescription posted from my surgery and give them an idea as to when I would like to pick the medicines up.
  • I send the request to my GP with a SAE (stamped addressed envelope) enclosed: the address being that of the chemist.
• This also works with using post office poste restante services, but can make the process longer, as then I have to take the prescription to a chemist myself.

A word of warning - occasionally we have had to wait more than 2 or 3 days as the chemist has had difficulty getting a particular medicine. So it is best not to plan a tight cruising schedule!

The following are some dispensing chemists I have used. I find that the independent ones are often better and quicker! The large chains seem to have problems with their approved suppliers, where as the independent chemists can be more flexible with suppliers.