11/02/2026
From GP to Pharmacy: What Happens to Your Prescription Next?
Many patients come into the pharmacy straight after seeing their GP, expecting their medication to be ready and waiting. We completely understand why. When you are unwell, the last thing you want is another delay.
However, there is an important journey your prescription must take before it reaches our shelves and your hands.
Most prescriptions are now sent electronically from the GP surgery to the pharmacy. When your GP tells you your prescription has been “approved” or “sent,” it means it has been issued, not that it is already prepared and ready for collection.
Once the prescription arrives at the pharmacy, it enters a careful and essential process. Our team must clinically check it, ensure the medication is safe and appropriate, assemble the items, label them correctly, and carry out final accuracy checks. Even for straightforward prescriptions, this process usually takes between 12 and 24 hours.
Some prescriptions take longer. This may be because a medicine is temporarily out of stock, needs to be specially ordered, or requires additional checks. These steps are not delays for delay’s sake. They are about safety, accuracy, and making sure you receive the right medicine in the right way.
To help everyone, we kindly ask patients to allow us adequate time to prepare prescriptions. Once your medication is ready, we will notify you by SMS. This helps avoid unnecessary trips and allows our team to work efficiently while caring for all our patients.
The key word is patience. We genuinely do our very best every day, often under significant pressure, to support the health of our community.
We are truly grateful for the many kind messages and glowing reviews you continue to leave us on Google. They remind our team that the care, patience, and attention we give behind the scenes are noticed and valued.
Finally, a gentle but important reminder. Kindness and understanding go a long way. Aggressive or abusive behaviour affects staff morale and makes it harder for us to provide the service you deserve. Your support, patience, and respect help us keep the pharmacy open, safe, and welcoming for everyone.
Thank you for being part of our community and for working with us.
Godstone Pharmacy
