It’s important to request your prescription 7-10 days before you will need your medicine.

Medicines can be ordered via the NHS App, or online systems provided by the GP Practice or pharmacist. If you do not have online access, a friend or relative can have an account to help you – this is known as “proxy access”. It does not mean that they will have access to all your medical information. For more information please see: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/ 

If you cannot access online services at all, you may place an order using the repeat prescription slip or providing a written request to the GP practice. Speak to your GP practice to see how they would like you to do this.

If you require additional support to order your medicines, please speak to your GP practice.

Only order the medicines you need. If you have medicines that you take “when required” you may not need to order every time.

Some pharmacies and dispensing practices can offer a delivery service, however this is not a contracted NHS service, so there may be a charge. Ask your pharmacy or practice for more information.

A friend or family member may be able to help collect your medication each month.

There are also online pharmacies – also known as Distance Selling Pharmacies – who will post your medicines to your home address. You do not need to be able to access the internet to use these services, although it can be helpful. To find a distance selling pharmacy: Online-only pharmacies - NHS.

If you are taking medicines on a long-term basis, your GP practice should review this with you on at least an annual basis. The review may be undertaken by a GP, pharmacist, nurse or other healthcare professional.

Some patients will receive a more in-depth review called a Structured Medication Review.

If you are having any problems in remembering or taking your medicines, do discuss this at your medication review. On occasion, some medicines can cause side effects including problems such as confusion or continence issues. Do not stop taking any medication until you have discussed this with your GP practice or pharmacist.

It is not uncommon for people to miss an occasional dose of their medicines; however it is ideal to take them as they have been prescribed for you. If you are concerned about missing a dose, please speak to your pharmacist.

If there is a possibility that your memory or confusion may get worse over time, it is a good idea to put routines into place as early as possible to get used to them. Change should be done at the right time and pace.

Some tips to help medication-taking routines

• Keep your medicines somewhere where you will see them to prompt you to take them e.g. next to the kettle, by your toothbrush, or by your bed. Always ensure medicines are kept out of reach of children and pets.
• Remove clutter and things you don’t use every day to bring your attention to the essentials.
• If there is more than one person taking medicines, consider a tub for each person – clearly labelled. Keep one pack of each type of tablets in the tub with spare supplies elsewhere.
• Have a daily routine: do things in a regular order every day.
• Check your medication stocks weekly and order before you run out – around 7-10 days is enough notice to get new supplies.
• Use a reminder chart, tick list or daily diary. A noticeboard may be helpful for putting any appointments or less frequent tasks on.
• You may find that taking medicines at the same time of day is helpful – speak to your prescriber or pharmacist to see if they can reduce the number of times each day you take your medicine.
• Use a clock that also displays the day of the week, or some will display “morning”, “afternoon” etc. to help know where you are in the day.
• Use alarms or reminders (see below also). It’s important to stop what you are doing to take your medicines, to avoid ignoring the alarm and forgetting.

For additional reassurance, the Carecalls service will provide daily telephone or SMS check‑ins and personalised reminders to support people who may be vulnerable, live alone or have memory issues. It can help with wellbeing monitoring, medication prompts, daily task reminders and safety alerts if calls go unanswered, supporting independence and offering peace of mind to families and carers.

CareCalls - Reminders & Check-ins to Empower Independence

There are lots of devices that are available to help read labels, remove medicines from packaging or use devices like eye drops and inhalers. Some will be specific to a certain device and be available from the manufacturer. Others can be purchased from a pharmacy or direct from the supplier.

Your pharmacy or dispensing practice can discuss available options with you.

Pill or Dossett boxes

You may find it helpful to buy a box to organise your medicines into days of the week and times of the day. There are different types of boxes available which can be found here: Living Made Easy - Medication organisers and dispensers

You can load this box yourself or ask a friend or relative to help you. Paid care workers are not allowed to fill these types of devices. Be aware that these devices are not child-proof and won’t be clearly labelled.

Some medication needs to be kept airtight. Check with your pharmacist whether your medication could be stored in pill boxes or other dispensers.

There are also types of pill dispensers that have a built-in alarm or can be linked to telecare services.

Can I get a box filled by my pharmacy?

Pharmacies are not obliged to fill boxes (known as MDS or compliance aids) under their NHS contract. Some may charge for this as a private service.

The use of these boxes should only be considered where all other suggestions have been tried. Many pharmacies do not have the capacity to provide this service.

There are some online pharmacies who will provide this service.

On occasion, people can take too many medicines because they forget they have already taken them. In this situation, leaving a smaller supply of medication available is preferable.

Medicines can be stored in a suitably sized locked tin e.g. cash box.

If medicines are kept in a secure location, consider keeping a list of medication to hand in the case of an emergency. The Lions Message in a Bottle provides a tub to keep a medicines list in the fridge, which is a nationally recognised scheme.

Problems with swallowing

Speak to your GP practice or pharmacist about alternatives that may be available. Medicines should not be chewed or crushed without specific advice to do so. Your GP may decide to raise a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy service.

Dropping tablets

Try opening packets of tablets over a surface, or a tray with an edge to avoid tablets rolling onto the floor. This can also be helpful if your sight is impaired so help you find the tablets. Your pharmacy should be able to put your medicines into a bottle if you struggle to remove them from the blister strips.

Reading the labels

Most pharmacies’ systems are able to print large print labels. Coloured stickers can also support how many medicines need taking during the day.

Most aids and devices described are available to be purchased. Charitable trusts may sometimes provide funding for equipment.

The Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust offers grants for various equipment for people of all ages who are sick, in poor health or disabled.

How We Can Help – Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust 020 7998 8817

Turn2Us has a grants process to help with various financial assistance

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/

Your local pharmacy should be able to advise you on help with your medicines. Many GP practices also have a social prescriber or care navigator who can also refer you to other support in your local area.

Return any old, unwanted or unused medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not throw them in the household rubbish or flush down the toilet.

Sometimes the cost of prescriptions can be unaffordable, especially if you need multiple medicines. There is help available for some people with the costs.

Alternatively, you can buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate and pay monthly by direct debit. If you have more than one medicine each month, it can work out cheaper to do this.

For more information please see: https://www.gov.uk/help-nhs-costs or Check if you can get free prescriptions - NHS

Social care does not routinely provide support with taking medication. Where a person has eligible care and support needs under the Care Act, and medication support is required as part of a wider package of care, this may be considered following a social care assessment. In most circumstances we look to support people to manage their medicines independently, with help from family, community services, pharmacies, medication aids/equipment or health professionals.

If you are eligible for social care support, and you think that you need additional support provided by social care, information on what to do can be found here: Contact our adult social care team - Norfolk County Council