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 Notice Board
Changes planned in the way prescriptions are dealt with
For a number of years the Practice has accepted requests for prescriptions over the telephone. In recent months it has become clear that we are one of very few Practices in Calderdale and indeed across the country that still do this.
Taking prescription details over the phone is widely believed by many doctors to be out dated and even unsafe due to the risk of passing on incorrect details. These kinds of errors are one of the most significant causes of problems in General Practice and could even lead to patients receiving the wrong medication.
The Practice wishes to stop this method of requesting prescriptions and thereby reduce the risk in the next few months.
Instead, we intend to make greater use of paper request slips and online requesting via our website, as well as “repeat dispensing” which means that patients on long term medication who choose this option will deal only with the pharmacists for the majority of their prescriptions.
In addition, over a fifth of all telephone calls to the Practice are to order repeat prescriptions. It is anticipated that if we eliminate these calls it will make telephone access to the surgery much easier.
Over the coming weeks we will be discussing the idea in more detail with representatives from our Patient Group, local pharmacies, other Practices and the local Primary Care Trust.
It is our intention that this will ensure a safer and more responsive service for all of our 19,000 patients. We will be publicising any developments via the newspaper, our website and in all of our three sites. |
