When you visit the hospital for an outpatient appointment please bring information about your current medicines with you. This can be in the form of a repeat prescription printout from your GP or a hand written list. If you prefer you may bring in the actual medicine packs.

What information about your current medicines should you bring?

The nurse or doctor at the outpatient clinic may need to know the names, strengths and doses of:

• Medicines prescribed by your GP including eye drops, inhalers,creams, patches etc
• Medicines that you buy ‘over the counter’
• Any complementary (e.g. herbal) medicines that you take
• You should also tell the doctor or nurse if you have ever had an allergic reaction, or serious side effects, from any medicines

At your outpatient appointment you may be given a prescription. Depending on the type of prescription you will be informed at the outpatient clinic if you should take it to your local community pharmacy for dispensing or to the hospital pharmacy.

If you normally pay for prescriptions from your GP you will also have to pay for medicines obtained from the hospital pharmacy. Many people are entitled to free prescriptions, (exempt from charges), and if this is the case, you will be asked to complete a form. A summary of the exemptions are listed below but if you would like more information please ask either at the hospital pharmacy or your community pharmacy. There is also more information available on the NHS Choices Website – NHS costs and exemptions.

Generally we will dispense one month’s treatment however we usually only issue a maximum of a seven-day supply for prescriptions from Accident & Emergency. If your treatment is to continue you may obtain further supplies from your GP. Where the medicine you have been prescribed is only available from the hospital, we will continue to supply it against a current prescription. We can only dispense hospital prescriptions, not those from your GP surgery.

You can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you:

• are 60 or over
• are under 16
• are 16-18 and in full-time education
• are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
• have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx
• hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• are an NHS inpatient

You are also entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner (including civil partners) are named on, or are entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate or a valid HC2 certificate (full help with health costs), or you receive either:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Universal Credit