What is eRD?
Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD) allows your GP practice to send a batch of repeat prescriptions to your nominated pharmacy in advance. This means you don’t need to request a new prescription each time you run out of your regular medication.
How does it work?
We can authorise a batch of prescriptions to cover up to 12 months of medication (depending on your review schedule and condition). These prescriptions are stored electronically and automatically sent to your chosen pharmacy at regular intervals – usually every 28 or 56 days.
Do I need to request a new prescription each time?
No. If you are on eRD, your prescriptions will be automatically available at your pharmacy when they are due. You only need to contact the practice when:
- You are nearing the end of your batch (your pharmacist can tell you how many are left),
- There has been a change to your medication,
- You have been asked to book a medication review or blood test,
- Or your pharmacy advises that there is no further batch available.
What should I do if my pharmacy says they don’t have my prescription?
Sometimes, pharmacies may not download the next prescription batch automatically. If this happens, ask your pharmacist to check whether your next prescription is available on the NHS Spine under Electronic Repeat Dispensing. If the batch has ended, your pharmacist will advise you to contact the practice.
I’ve just registered with GP at Hand – what happens to my eRD prescriptions?
When you register with a new GP practice, any existing eRD prescriptions from your previous practice are automatically cancelled as part of the registration process. You should request a pharmacist appointment to review your medications. Once this is complete and your repeat medications have been confirmed, we can restart your eRD at your nominated pharmacy.
How can I tell if I’m on eRD?
If you collect your regular medications from the same pharmacy each time and rarely need to request prescriptions from the practice, you are likely on eRD. You can confirm this by asking your pharmacy.
Benefits of eRD
Helps ensure you always have your regular medication on time.
Saves time – no need to order each prescription.
Reduces delays and admin for both patients and the practice.
Please be aware that our practice does not post prescriptions. Every effort is made to send prescriptions electronically. However, due to NHS infrastructure, electronic prescribing is not available outside of England or for private prescriptions. If you are a GP at Hand registered patient and are travelling to Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland and need a prescription, you will need to access local healthcare services.
If a private prescription is required, it must be collected in person from our Drummond Street clinic reception (NW1 3HP). These prescriptions must be printed and signed. Once your prescription is ready, our Front of House team will notify you via SMS. When collecting, please provide your full name, date of birth, and postcode to the receptionist.
Please note: Prescriptions not collected within 28 days will be securely destroyed.
Why won’t the practice take over prescribing from a private specialist?
NHS GPs are only able to prescribe medicines that are approved for use within NHS guidance and local Integrated Care Board (ICB) policies. When a patient sees a private specialist, that clinician remains responsible for any treatment they recommend, including providing prescriptions and monitoring.
If the treatment is not routinely prescribed in the NHS or falls outside local policy, we are unable to take over prescribing responsibility. This ensures patient safety and consistent prescribing standards across the NHS.
What is an “off-label” medication?
An “off-label” medication is one that is used for a purpose not included in its official licence (for example, a drug licensed for smoking cessation being prescribed for a mental health condition). Specialists may sometimes use medicines off-label based on their clinical judgement, but NHS GPs are not obliged to continue such prescriptions unless this use is supported by national or local NHS guidance.
Why can’t my GP prescribe my off-label medication on the NHS?
Prescribing off-label requires specialist oversight, monitoring and responsibility. NHS GPs can only prescribe off-label medicines where there is clear evidence of safety, local approval and shared care arrangements agreed by the ICB. If these are not in place, the prescribing and monitoring remain the responsibility of the initiating private specialist.
Who is responsible for ensuring I have no break in treatment?
If you are under the care of a private specialist, they are responsible for ensuring there is no interruption in your treatment. A specialist should not discharge you or allow a break in medication until it is confirmed that your NHS GP has formally agreed to take over prescribing.
Can I discuss alternative NHS treatment options?
Yes. If your current treatment cannot be prescribed through the NHS, you can book an appointment with one of our GPs to discuss NHS-approved alternatives that may be suitable for your condition.
This information is provided to help patients understand how NHS and private care interact, and to ensure treatments are managed safely and in line with NHS prescribing policies.
Please be aware that our practice does not post prescriptions. Every effort is made to send prescriptions electronically. However, due to NHS infrastructure, electronic prescribing is not available outside of England or for private prescriptions. If you are a GP at Hand registered patient in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland and need a prescription, you will need to access local healthcare services.
If a private prescription is required, it must be collected in person from our Drummond Street clinic reception (NW1 3HP). These prescriptions must be printed and signed. Once your prescription is ready, our Front of House team will notify you via SMS. When collecting, please provide your full name, date of birth, and postcode to the receptionist.
Please note: Prescriptions not collected within 28 days will be securely destroyed.
The NHS are gradually rolling out Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight loss.
This roll out is starting with those who have a BMI over 40 kg/m2 PLUS four or more weight-related conditions.
The criteria are very strict – you can read more here. Tirzepatide will only be prescribed by the NHS as part of a comprehensive treatment plan developed by a multidisciplinary team. This means that anyone prescribed the drug must also engage with weight management support, including lifestyle changes, behavioural advice, and increased physical activity.
Our local NHS requires us to refer anyone who meets the criteria for Tirezepatide treatment to specialist weight management services, and at present NHS GPs are NOT allowed to prescribe these medications directly.
If you’re living with obesity or weight-related health issues, we understand that the journey can be emotional, frustrating, and difficult. The NHS website also has advice on making changes to your lifestyle to help you lose weight. Tips to help you lose weight – NHS
You may wish to explore accessing Mounjaro, or GLP-1 medication in general, privately. There are a number of companies that you could choose from, but we would recommend a provider that has a full wrap-around care and support package such as SheMed or HeMed.
Last updated: 16th July 2025. We will update this information as soon as this changes.
Once you have signed up on the NHS App and verified your identity, you will have access to:
- View your medical record
- View your test results
- View any letters or attachments on your record
- Request repeat prescriptions
- View any messages sent by us
To access these services, you should go to Your health in the NHS App. You can then view your medical record using the GP health record option.
What is a Shared Care Agreement?
A Shared Care Agreement (SCA) is a formal arrangement between an NHS hospital specialist and a GP, allowing care to be safely shared between both services. It is used when a patient starts a specialist medicine or treatment in hospital that may need ongoing prescriptions or monitoring from their GP.
Before your care is transferred to your GP, the specialist must ensure:
- You are stable on the treatment
- All monitoring and follow-up arrangements are clearly outlined
- Your GP has agreed to take over prescribing and monitoring responsibilities
Shared Care is designed to support safe, joined-up care. Your hospital or specialist remains involved, and they are responsible for providing clear advice and support throughout. Shared care agreements are typically developed for specialist drugs or medications that require ongoing monitoring, such as: ADHD medications, specialist arthritis medications, specialist skin medications, and some specialist drugs with known side effects.
Your GP can only take over shared care if they feel it is safe and appropriate to do so — it is not automatic. The hospital or specialist team must continue prescribing until your GP formally agrees to take over. All Shared Care arrangements in the NHS are voluntary — GPs can decline requests if they do not feel it is safe or manageable.
Can my private specialist arrange Shared Care with my NHS GP?
Shared Care Agreements (SCAs) are generally only established between NHS specialists and NHS GPs. These agreements allow a safe, planned transfer of prescribing and monitoring responsibilities when it is clinically appropriate and agreed by all parties.
Shared Care is not normally available for private patients. If you are under the care of a private consultant, they remain fully responsible for:
- Prescribing your medication
- Providing any required monitoring or tests
- Managing your ongoing care
If you are currently receiving prescriptions from a private provider and do not have an agreed shared care arrangement in place with us, you will need to continue obtaining your prescription from your private service provider. Unfortunately, we will not be able to take over these prescriptions.
NHS GPs are not obligated to take over prescribing initiated privately, nor arrange monitoring for medication prescribed privately. This is supported by national guidance from the British Medical Association (BMA), which states that GPs are not expected to enter into shared care arrangements with private providers due to issues of governance, clinical responsibility, and potential health inequalities.
Why not? It’s about safe and equitable NHS care
The NHS Constitution promotes equitable care, meaning access to NHS services should be fair and based on clinical need — not ability to pay. Offering shared care support to private patients risks creating unfair advantages and undermines this principle.
Unless your private provider is delivering a commissioned NHS service (for example via a Right to Choose pathway), they cannot usually enter into shared care with your NHS GP. In such cases, allowing private-initiated treatments to be picked up in the NHS without proper governance could compromise clinical safety, governance, and transparency.
What can I do if I want NHS support?
If you want your NHS GP to take over prescribing:
- You will need to be referred to an NHS consultant for review and approval of the treatment.
- If the NHS consultant agrees, they may initiate a formal Shared Care Agreement.
- Your GP will then consider whether to accept shared care based on safety, capacity, and clinical suitability.
Your prescriptions will be sent to your nominated pharmacy.
You can change your nominated pharmacy in the NHS App, or by letting your Clinician know in your appointment.
If you wish to collect a prescription from a different pharmacy as a one-off, perhaps because your medication is not in stock at your usual pharmacy, you should ask the pharmacy to send your prescription back to the NHS spine and to give you the prescription barcode.
You can then take the barcode to any pharmacy in England that you would like your prescription dispensed from. If you do not have the barcode but the pharmacy have confirmed they have sent the prescription back to the NHS spine, the new pharmacy will still able to find your prescription (you may be asked to confirm your full name, date of birth and address).
