Dispensary

The Dispensary liaises closely with the Doctors, Pharmacists, Practice Nurses, District Nurses, Macmillan Nurses, Patient Advisors 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.

Opening Hours

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Repeat prescriptions can be ordered quickly and easily through a variety of methods, designed to suit everyone and to ensure that all patients can contact dispensary at a time and by a method that best suits their busy lives. 

Please give at least three working days notice, not including weekends.  You can request your repeat medications in the following ways:

- OUR PREFERRED OPTION:  On-Line via the NHS App. Register for the NHS App.

- Patient Access:  Online facility being phased out.

- Royal Mail:  Prescription requests are made using the prescription counterfoil provided with each prescription.  Please clearly tick the items that are required.  This slip can be posted to the Dispensary at Marazion Surgery. Please allow additional time for Royal Mail delivery.

- Drop in a request in person, using the post box just inside the front door or outside of opening hours a post box is located by the side door, around the corner to the right of the building.

- Telephone option three during the following opening hours: Mondays 11.00am to 1.00pm, and 3.00pm to 5.00pm; Tuesdays to Fridays 11.00am to 12.00pm, and 3.00pm to 4.00pm.  Please ensure you have all medication information to hand. 

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Services provided by the Dispensary include:

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 three working days’ notice not including weekends.  During busy periods, such as during Bank Holidays, we would appreciate being given extra time.  Please do not over-order or ‘stock up’ on medicines.  

Delivery Service: A delivery service is available to rural areas.  For more information on the delivery schedule please contact the dispensary.  Patients who are housebound will have priority for delivery.  In addition regular dropping off points are made to local shops on a weekly basis, to the villages of Goldsithney, St Erth and Crowlas.  Again, please contact dispensary for further information. 

Health Awareness:  We have a team of very experienced and fully qualified Dispensers, who can offer advice to patients and their carers, providing the patient has given their permission.  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 and Pharmacy Team.

Dosett Boxes:  These boxes contain medication in specially designed blister packs, making it easier for the elderly or infirm to remember to take their medication appropriately.  If you feel that you, or someone you care for, would benefit from this service, please discuss this with their doctor.  More information on the dosett boxes is available from Dispensary, but these can only be authorised by the doctor.

Queries & Questions:  If you have a query about any aspect of your medication or care, please speak to one of the Dispensary staff at the surgery.  If the Dispenser does not know the answer, they will speak to the appropriate person and get back to you within a reasonable period. 

The Dispensary Supervisor is Miss Tara Brownfield.

We accept payment by all major debit and credit cards.  We do not accept cheques.  Information about prescription fees is available from Dispensary or online.

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

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

• Prescription (per item): £9.65
• 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60
• 3-month PPC: £31.25

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

• 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

Please allow THREE full working days, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, for your request to be processed. Any problems please telephone the surgery.

Medicine sick day guidance

Taking certain medicines when you are dehydrated or very unwell can result in you developing a more serious illness. This is because they can increase the risk of dehydration and lead to potentially serious side effects. This is known as Medicine Sick Day Rules. These medicines should be temporarily stopped if you are at risk of becoming dehydrated with any of the following:

• Vomiting or diarrhoea (unless only minor)
• Fevers, sweats or shaking

You can restart the medication after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. Do not take extra for missed doses.

Which medications should I stop?

• ACE inhibitors: names ending in ‘pril’ - examples: lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
• ARBs: names ending in ‘sartan’ - examples: losartan, candesartan, valsartan. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
• Diuretics: sometimes called ‘water pills’ - examples: furosemide, bendroflumethiazide, indapamide, spironolactone. Used for excess fluid and high blood pressure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely.
• NSAIDs: anti-inflammatory pain killers - examples: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
• Metformin: a medicine for diabetes. Dehydration can make it more likely that you will develop a serious side effect called lactic acidosis.
• SGLT2 inhibitors: names ending in ‘flozin’ - examples: canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin. A medication used in the treatment of Diabetes, Kidney disease or Heart Failure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely and if you have diabetes can cause acid to build up if you are unwell.

More information relating to SGLT2 inhibitors

Which illnesses cause dehydration?

Dehydration is the loss of fluid from your body. Vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever (high temperature, sweats, shaking) can make you dehydrated. If you are sick once or have diarrhoea once, then you are unlikely to become dehydrated. Having two or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea can lead to dehydration: in these cases, you should consider following this advice.

What actions should I take?

If you develop a dehydrating illness, you should temporarily stop taking any medicine listed here, and any other medicine identified by your health professional. It is very important that you restart your medicine once you have recovered from the illness. This would normally be after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. When you restart your medicine, just take them as normal. Do not take extra for the doses you have missed.

Where can I find more information?

• Diabetes when you are unwell
• Acute Kidney Injury

Try the NHS App

If you’re a patient at our practice you can now use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.

You can use the NHS App to get health advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP health record and more.

If you already use Patient Access you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.

For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp