People in the Black Country are being reminded to order any repeat prescriptions they may need ahead of the Easter bank holiday (Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April).
GP practices and pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the Easter bank holiday weekend, making it more challenging for people to access medicines at short notice.
Every bank holiday, NHS 111 sees an increase in people getting in touch about repeat prescriptions. Waiting and using emergency or urgent services over the Easter break puts added pressure on already busy services.
To avoid this and to ensure health is not put at any unnecessary risk, people are being asked to submit any repeat prescriptions that are due for renewal by Friday 22 March at the latest to make sure there is enough time for them to be processed and dispensed.
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “If you take any medicine on a regular basis to help manage a long-term condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma, now is the time to check that you have enough medication left to last you over the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.
“By ensuring you have your required supply of prescribed medication, you save yourself the worry of possibly not getting what you need on time and being caught short over the bank holiday when your GP practice will be closed.
“The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is via the NHS App or through your GP practice website. If you do not have access to GP online services, you can phone your GP practice to order prescriptions.”
A full list of Black Country pharmacies and opening times can be found online.
Most repeat medication requests can be made online, via local practice websites or through the NHS App. People who do not use the internet can approach their practice to access their prescriptions.
If people feel unwell over the bank holiday weekend, but it’s not life threatening, they can check their symptoms and access advice by using the NHS 111 service online or by calling NHS 111.
NHS 111 can help direct people to the most appropriate local health service if they aren’t sure where to go –this could include an out of hours GP, a pharmacy, a local NHS walk-in centre, or a hospital accident & emergency (A&E) department.
