In response to patient feedback, the dispensary team have put together the following information sheet outlining the procedures we follow to ensure the orderly and efficient supply of medication to our whole patient population. It is our hope that this goes some way in clearing up any confusion surrounding our service and that it helps our patients to have access to their medications safely and efficiently.
Prescription ordering
Prescriptions can be ordered in a variety of ways:
- Via your smartphone using the MyGP or Patient Access apps – these have the added bonus of interfacing directly with our clinical system, displaying an accurate and up-to-date list of your medication. If you wish to use these apps, please contact our reception team on 016974 73548 who will happily generate login details for you.
- Via secure NHS email – [email protected] – we check this inbox regularly throughout the day.
- Via answer machine on 016974 73553. A member of staff is available to speak to between 1pm – 3pm Monday to Friday if you have any questions or queries with regards to your medication. The answer machine is available outside of these hours, thank you. Please note that with the exception of our pharmacist, the rest of the dispensary staff are not clinically trained and may have to pass your query to a qualified member of staff. In such situations, we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can with an answer.
- Via the black post box at the front of the surgery or the one inside beside the dispensary hatch. We check these hourly Monday to Friday during office hours.
Early requests
The dispensary team process thousands of prescriptions per week and our biggest priority is to ensure that all our patients have a supply of their necessary medication. In order to achieve this, we operate a strict prioritisation system. We require all requests to be submitted no earlier than 25 days after the last medication has been issued. Any requests received earlier than this will be automatically put into a queue and not processed until the 25th day falls. With our 3 working day turnaround (see below for details), this will ensure that all further supplies will be ready to collect before the previous one runs out.
There may be extenuating circumstances that require you to request your medication earlier than the 25 days. We ask that you contact the dispensary team on 016974 73553 between 1pm and 3pm Monday to Friday to discuss further. We will work with you to try and accommodate your request, thank you.
Processing times
At Court Thorn Surgery, we pride ourselves on having one of the quickest turnaround times from request to completed items in Cumbria. In order to allow us to secure appropriate stock and dispense your medications with all necessary safety checks, we require THREE working days’ notice to prepare your prescription. For all requests made after 5pm Mon-Thurs, the processing time will begin the next morning. All requests made after 5pm on Friday will enter the processing stage on the next working day after the weekend. The table below outlines when you can expect your medication to be ready in relation to when you have ordered them. Please allow an extra working day in the event of a bank holiday.
Please remember that it is patient responsibility to order their medications in line with our designated turn around times and any requests for turnarounds less than 3 working days may not be possible.
| Day & Time Ordered | Ready to collect from |
| Friday (after 5pm) to Monday (up to 5pm) | Thursday |
| Monday (after 5pm) to Tuesday (up to 5pm) | Friday |
| Tuesday (after 5pm) to Wednesday (up to 5pm) | Monday |
| Wednesday (after 5pm) to Thursday (up to 5pm) | Tuesday |
| Thursday (after 5pm) to Friday (up to 5pm) | Wednesday |
Unavailable items
On rare occasions, we may be unable to obtain specific brands or items which you have requested. Due to our position in the market, we do not have access to as wide a supply of products as the larger multinational companies do. In these circumstances, we will make every effort to offer an appropriate alternative, in full collaboration with you. If this is not possible, and as a last resort, we will offer you either a signed paper prescription to take to a pharmacy of your choice or send an electronic prescription if you would prefer.
