More than half of all adults in Britain are on a repeat prescription for medication from their GP, new research has found, with almost half of all repeat medication ordered the traditional way, with patients calling their GP and then either picking up the prescription from the surgery or having it sent to their local pharmacy for them to collect.
In fact, 57 percent of people take an average of three items per regular prescription, with medication for depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol topping the list.
Men (61 per cent) are more likely to be on repeat prescriptions than women (53 per cent) according to research for Well Pharmacy, Britain’s leading independent pharmacy group. Men also take an average of four items, compared to 2.5 for women.
The research shows that the older generation take most regular medication, with 78 per cent on repeat prescriptions, followed by the 45-54s at 63 per cent compared to 48 per cent of those aged 25 to 34.
One in three patients use the NHS app to order, then pick up at the pharmacy, while just one in ten use an online service to have their repeat prescription ordered and delivered – a method the leading pharmacy chain is keen to champion.
Well Pharmacy now offers their customers the option to manage their prescriptions without needing to contact their GP directly, be it collection in person at their local pharmacy or via an electronic repeat prescription service online. The latter service offers home delivery or a click and collect service to their local Well Pharmacy should they need their order faster.
This new way of dealing with repeat prescriptions takes pressure off the local GP surgeries and ultimately helps ease the process for the patients themselves.
Ifti Khan, Pharmacy Superintendent at Well Pharmacy, said: “Managing long-term conditions can be difficult enough without the worry of calling the GP and getting to the pharmacy to collect the medication. These medications are needed to keep people well, but the amount of pressure ordering them puts on GP surgeries is huge, not to mention the pressure it puts on the patient who will already be managing medication and health conditions.”
