Repeat prescriptions

News:

Probus Surgical Centre is now directly bookable through Choose and Book

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Peninsula Ultrasound
The surgery now offers diagnostic ultrasound services on a weekly basis for our patients and also accessible for patient referrals from other GP practices. Appointments are directly bookable through Choose and Book.

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The practice is planning to join the campaign to reduce the practice's C02 emissions by 10% in the year 2010.

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We are EEFO Level 1 approved - the young person friendly services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For more information go to www.eefo.net

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds is lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Call for morning sickness action

More needs to be done to establish which are safe and effective ways to relieve morning sickness, experts say.

UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'

Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.

ME 'virus link' found in children

ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in children could be caused by a virus, scientists say.

Gaps persist in cancer survival

Despite significant improvements in cancer survival rates across England, regional differences remain, national statistics show.

'Genetic link' to breast cancer

Researchers have identified a series of genetic variations which may play a role in a common breast cancer.

Bipolar 'not linked to violence'

People with a mental illness are no more likely to be violent unless they abuse drugs or alcohol, a study suggests.

NHS in Wales faces £380m cutbacks

The Welsh NHS faces making £380m worth of cutbacks by April, with managers saying it is the biggest challenge they have faced in 20 years.

Diabetes drug advice 'not heeded'

A type two diabetes drug is still being prescribed in the UK two months after it was recommended for withdrawal, BBC Panorama learns.

Yahoo Health

US smoking rate still stuck at 1 in 5 adults (AP)

AP - U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.

FDA cites claims on 2 green tea beverages (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

FDA relents from midodrine withdrawal plan (AP)

AP - Federal regulators have backed off a plan to remove a Shire PLC low blood-pressure treatment from the market after warning in August that the drug has not been proven effective.

Judge won't let stem cell money keep flowing (AP)

AP - A federal judge on Tuesday refused to lift his order blocking federal funding for some stem cell research, saying that a "parade of horribles" predicted by federal officials would not happen.

Japan confirms its first case of new superbug gene (AP)

AP - Japan has confirmed the nation's first case of a new gene in bacteria that allows the microorganisms to become drug-resistant superbugs, detected in a man who had medical treatment in India, a Health Ministry official said Tuesday.

Picking right blood pressure medicine challenging (AP)

AP - It's hard to predict which pills will best lower which patient's high blood pressure, but researchers are hunting ways to better personalize therapy — perhaps even using a blood test.

Lack of Sleep May Be Linked to Childhood Obesity (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Infants and preschoolers who don't get enough sleep at night are at increased risk for later childhood obesity, a new study suggests.

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 7, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Autistic Toddlers Prefer to Gaze at Geometric Patterns: Study (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- When given the choice to gaze at geometric patterns or children dancing and playing, toddlers with autism spent more time looking at the patterns while typically developing toddlers preferred to look at other kids, a new study finds.

MedPage Today

Judge Won't Lift Block on Stem Cell Research Funding

(MedPage Today) -- Federal spending of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research will remain off-limits for now, a federal judge ruled, dealing yet another blow to the Obama administration's efforts to support such research.

Cigarette Smoke May Affect Fertility (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Smoking may provide an explanation for reduced fertility, results of two studies suggested.

Adult Smoking Hits Plateau

(MedPage Today) -- One in five U.S. adults continues to smoke tobacco -- a percentage that hasn't budged since 2005 -- suggesting that more aggressive efforts are needed to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths, the CDC said.

Pandemic H1N1 Similar to Seasonal Strains (CME/CE, with video)

(MedPage Today) -- In general, the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus did not cause more serious disease than other recent influenza A strains, researchers found.

Nevirapine Reuse Possible in Exposed Children With HIV (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- In most HIV-infected children being exposed at birth to nevirapine (Viramune) doesn't rule out using the drug again later, researchers reported.

PCV-7 Vaccine May Promote Serotype 19A Infection (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Infants receiving a three-dose regimen of heptavalent PCV-7 pneumococcal vaccine were more likely than unvaccinated controls to pick up a nonvaccine pneumococcal strain associated with invasive infection and antibiotic resistance, researchers said.

More Human Trials Needed for HIV Vaccine Hunt

(MedPage Today) -- HIV vaccine researchers are calling for more and better human trials as part of the quest for ways to block transmission of the virus.

Patients Expect More from PCI than It Delivers (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Cardiologists fully understand the limits of percutaneous coronary interventions -- but their patients are often overly optimistic about the benefits of PCI, a new survey revealed.

Splint Matches Cast for Kids' Wrist Fractures (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- In children with wrist fractures, a splint works as well as a cast, researchers reported.

Behcet's Takes Higher Toll in Men (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Men with Behçet's disease are much more likely than women to die of this chronic multisystem vasculitis, a large French study found.

The Dispensary

Repeat Prescriptions

Prescriptions Fees

Click here to access the online repeat prescription form

The Dispensary

pills The Dispensary liaises closely with the Doctors, Practice Nurses, District Nurses, Macmillan Nurses, Receptionists and Administrators.

Dispensing facilities are available for most patients who live more than one mile from a chemist; you will be advised of your eligibility when you register as a patient.

Below you will find details of our opening hours, a variety of ways to request repeat medication plus details of the additional services and information available from our dispensary.

Delivery Service

Regular repeat medication drops are made to the following locations on Tuesdays and Fridays: Tregony (Post Office), Summercourt Surgery (Memorial Hall), Grampound Road (Shop), Ladock (Shop), Sticker (Londis) and Tresillian, (Post Office).

In addition, a delivery service is available for patients who are housebound and further information is available from the dispensary regarding this service.

Emergencies

If you have any problems, queries or difficulties, or if you have accidentally run out of your medication, a dispenser will be available to offer advice and assistance. Please contact the dispensary through the usual surgery telephone numbers at Probus and Grampound.

Health Awareness

We have a team of very experienced and fully qualified dispensers who liaise closely with other members of the Practice team, including the doctors and practice nurses. Healthy living advice is available upon request, along with a wide range of supportive literature and leaflets. The Dispensary aims to ensure that all patients receive excellent patient care, including regular check-ups and regular tests as required by the doctor.

Queries & Questions

If you have a query about any aspect of your medication or care, please ask a member of staff. If they do not know the answer, they will speak to the appropriate person and get back to you within a reasonable period.

Repeat Prescriptions

thepill Repeat prescriptions can be ordered quickly and easily through a variety of methods listed here:

Royal Mail

Prescription requests are made using the prescription counterfoil provided with each prescription. Please clearly tick the items that are required and post to the Dispensary, Probus Surgery, Tregony Road, Probus, Truro, TR2 4JZ or Dispensary, Grampound Surgery, Mill Lane, Grampound, Truro, TR2 4RU.

Hand Delivery

Prescription requests are made using the prescription counterfoil* provided with each prescription. Please clearly tick the items that are required. This slip can be placed in the post box provided just inside the main front doors at Probus or Grampound Surgery during working hours, or placed in the post box outside of either premises (on the right hand wall of front door at Probus) outside of working hours.

Fax

Prescription requests are made using the prescription counterfoil* provided with each prescription. Please clearly tick the items that are required. This slip can be faxed at any time of the day or night to Probus on 01726 883945 or Grampound on 01726 883536.

Internet

Click here to access the online repeat prescription form

Monthly Prescriptions

Please ensure that you do not run out of medication by ordering your repeat prescription in plenty of time. We require at least two working days' notice (not including weekends). During busy periods, such as before and after Bank Holidays, we would appreciate being given extra time. However, please do not over-stock or "stock up" on medicines.

Co-Ordination of Monthly Prescriptions

The dispensers would welcome the opportunity to liaise with any patient to co-ordinate their medications so that they can all be ordered regularly once a month. Having different medications due at different times of the month is time-consuming for patients and their carers and often necessitates more than one request and trip to the surgery premises every month.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

Extensive exemption and remission arrangements protect those likely to have difficulty in paying charges (NHS prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs).

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.

NHS charges

From 1st April 2009, the charges are:

Prescription (per item): £7.20
12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £104.00
3-month PPC: £28.25

If you will have to pay for 4 or more prescription items in 3 months, or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC. The charge for a single prescription item is £7.20, whereas a three month PPC will cost you £28.25 and a 12 month PPC £104.00.

Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
General Public - Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website

Further Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct