Reordering Prescriptions: How the NHS App saves you time and effort
Many of us will have downloaded the NHS App for the first time during the pandemic to book vaccinations or show our covid pass.
And if you are in the 60% of patients across Gosforth and Jesmond who now have the app on their phones, you will know it has much more to offer.
From being your go-to app for health information to the digital front door to your GP practice, the NHS App has been designed to put patients in charge of their health and make their lives easier.
We want to start by focusing on one specific thing we think many people will benefit from – using the NHS App to reorder prescriptions.
What you need to know
We’ll run through some more of the app’s features further down the page. You can either read through or jump to sections using the buttons.
Repeat Prescriptions in the NHS App
Lots of us regularly take medication to help with our long-term conditions or other health problems. Keeping an eye on our supplies and not leaving it late to order our next batch is essential to ensuring we get the best out of our treatment.
The quickest and easiest way to reorder repeat prescriptions is through the NHS App.
It’s free to download, 100% secure and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
That means you can request your next prescription at any time of day or night – no need to check opening hours, no waiting on the phone and no unnecessary trips to the practice.
Watch the video or follow the step-by-step guide to see how easy it is.
- Open the NHS App on your phone
- Tap on ‘Prescriptions’ at the bottom of your screen
- Tap the green ‘Order a prescription’ button
- Pick the repeat prescription option, then tap the green ‘continue’ button
- Tick the box for the medicine you want to reorder.
- Scroll down, add an optional message, and tap the green ‘continue’ button.
- Check the details and tap ‘Confirm and order Prescriptions’
That’s it. Your prescription will be ready to collect from your chosen pharmacy in three working days.
If you haven’t picked a nearby pharmacy to collect your medication from, you can do that in the app too.
Benefits
The video above shows how quick and easy it is to do something that might otherwise seem like a chore in real-time.
It takes just seven taps on the screen from opening the app to sending your request.
Not only is it fast to do, but you can do it whenever you think of it.
So, if you notice you’re running low on your medicine over the weekend, you can do something about it immediately. No need to write a note or remind yourself to call on Monday morning or, worse, forget.
If you regularly need to request prescriptions, we would encourage you to use the NHS App.
Getting Started
If you haven’t used the NHS App before, downloading it to your phone or tablet is the first step.
You can do this by searching for ‘NHS App’ in the App store if you use an iPhone or other Apple device or in the GooglePlay store for Android devices.
Tap either of the buttons below to get started.
The App is free to download and use. It’s owned and run by the NHS, so your data is 100% safe and secure.
The NHS YouTube channel has a helpful playlist of how to get started.
Once logged in, you’ll be connected to our clinical system, so you can benefit from many of the other services the app offers.
Features
In the app’s ‘Your health’ section, you will find your COVID-19 vaccination record and COVID pass, should you need it for international travel.
Below is your GP health record detailing any allergies, adverse reactions, prescribed medicines, and test results. So, if you need to check the name or dosage of your prescription and when it was last issued, this information is at your fingertips.
You may also see a history of your previous appointments and any associated documents.
The appointments tab lets you view and manage any appointments with us, referrals, or hospital appointments. If you have an appointment that you no longer need or can’t get to, you can use this option to cancel it.
Cancelling unneeded appointments is always appreciated, as another patient can fill the gap, and no clinical time is wasted.
The help and support section on the NHS website has helpful information on all the features.
Who can use the NHS App?
To use the app, you need to have an NHS account.
Anyone aged 16 and above registered with a GP practice in England or the Isle of Man can create an NHS account and start using the app. People aged 13-15 can also request access to online services by contacting their GP practice.
You may also be able to use the NHS app to manage the health of a child or someone you are a carer for. This is called a linked profile; you can find out more on the NHS website.
The NHS App is owned and run by the NHS. It is free to download and use, and your information is 100% safe.