Can I Use the Crown Surgery Dispensary?
If you live more than one mile from a pharmacy, you may be eligible to have your prescription dispensed at the Practice. Unfortunately, for legal reasons, we are unable to dispense for patients who live within a mile of a privately owned pharmacy, unless they are eligible for medical reasons.
Dispensary Opening Times
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm (excluding Bank Holidays)
Please note that the practice is closed for training purposes once a month on a Thursday from 1pm.
Please see Professional Development Training Dates for further information.
Dispensing Team
Our Dispensers prepare, check and dispense medication prescribed by the GP, including repeat prescription requests for our dispensing patients. They also undertake the Dispensing Review of Use of Medicines and deal with medication enquiries. Dispensing Team Members.
Ordering your Repeat Prescriptions
Medication Reviews
At The Crown Surgery we offer two types of reviews, one with a GP and one with a member of the Dispensing Team (for eligible patients who can use the dispensary service), we encourage patients to ensure they attend for these when invited.
Medication Review with a GP
If you are receiving repeat medication, good safe practice requires you to have medication reviews with a GP from time to time depending on the medication you are taking. This is important, to ensure the medication is working and to assess whether it is still appropriate for you. Please attend your review appointment when we contact you.
Dispensing Review Use of Medication (DRUM) with a Dispenser
The purpose of this review is to help you understand the therapy and identify any problems that you may be experiencing. The review will seek to optimise the impact of treatment for you and any changes highlighted during the review will subsequently be agreed between you and a GP.
The review may also help you with many of the practical issues that you could face with using your medication, for example;
- Knowing how to take your medicines (with water and or food)
- Identifying medicines you may not wish to take anymore
- Talking about possible side effects
- Bringing medicines inline
Prescription Charges and Prescription PrePayment Certificates
For up to date charges, please refer to the Government website (gov.uk) and search "NHS Prescription Charges", or visit Who can get free prescriptions.
If you need more than 12 prescribed medicines each year, you could save money with a 12-month Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC). You can purchase a pre-payment certificate from the NHS Business Services Authority by phoning the prepayment certificate order line on the local rate number 0300 330 1341, or apply online at Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs).
Collecting and Paying for Prescriptions
All prescriptions must be paid for on collection unless you can provide an exemption certificate or a pre-payment card. It is important that you complete the back of the prescription correctly. Patients between the ages of 16 and 60 years will automatically be asked whether they pay for their prescriptions. For those patients who are exempt of prescription charges you must bring evidence of your exemption with you. All patients or their representatives will be asked to sign for the prescriptions they are collecting.
How to Obtain Urgent Medical Supplies
Between the hours of 6.30pm and 8am including Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays telephone the out of hours GP service on 111 if you have run out of your medication. Alternatively you could contact any retail pharmacy for emergency supplies.
Serving the Patient
We are sorry if at times we keep you waiting at the hatch. However, as soon as there is a dispenser free you will be attended to. It is important that our staff give their full concentration to each item dispensed to ensure that errors are avoided, so for your safety, and that of other patients, please be kind and wait patiently to be served.
Unused Medicines
Even if you never open them, once medicines have left the Dispensary they cannot be recycled or used for anyone else.
Please return any unused medicines for safe disposal, if the Chemist or Hospital has dispensed your medication, please return to them. If we have dispensed your medication for you at the Practice, please return to us for safe disposal.
All sharps, including those obtained from a Hospital or Chemist, can be disposed of at the Practice.Unused medicines kept at home are a safety risk for children and others who might take them.
Dispensary Services Quality Scheme (DSQS)
The Crown Surgery is signed up to the Dispensary Services Quality Scheme (DSQS). The DSQS is a quality framework, which has patient safety at its centre and it has been widely adopted by dispensing practices. The scheme rewards practices for providing high-quality services to their dispensing patients.
Comments and Complaints
We endeavour to provide the best possible service in a friendly and efficient manner. We welcome compliments for the service we provide as well as suggestions as to how we could improve, please complete a Friends and Family Test. If you wish to make a complaint, you should always speak or write to the Practice Manager in the first instance, you can also view our complaints procedure.