29/08/2025
FAQs - Ordering repeat prescriptions
1. How long will it take to make up my prescription?
The repeat request phone line at Stromness surgery is open 24 hours but surgery staff only go through these messages during office hours. There can often be a huge volume of requests for them to listen through and process, particularly on a Monday morning.
Once your prescription has been printed, checked and signed by a clinician at the surgery it is placed in the chemists collection box. We collect prescriptions from the surgery several times throughout the day. You may be told that your prescription has been issued but this may mean it has only been printed, it does not mean that it is ready to collect already. When those prescriptions arrive at the pharmacy they are sorted, labelled, clinically checked, dispensed and then checked again. This process takes time. It is not possible to request a prescription on a Friday night and have it ready for collection at 9am on Monday morning.
Repeat prescriptions can take up to four working days to process. Usually we manage to have those ready to collect earlier, but there are many factors which can delay the process such as:
• Medication reviews. Your prescription request may be diverted to a clinician if your medications are due a review. This can add one or two days as the clinician works their way through the queue of medication reviews. They may need to phone you or see you in person to check that your current dosage of medication is still correct for you.
• If your prescription comes from another surgery such as Dounby we have to wait an extra working day for the prescription to come by post.
• Transit and stock.
We stock a huge range of medication but sometimes have to order in a specific item for you. Our orders come from Aberdeen, Glasgow and sometimes further afield, this can take up to 3 days, especially if over a weekend.
2. Number of requests. We currently process up to 250 prescriptions items per day so whichever day of the week you make your request it will likely be in a queue of several hundred.
Phoning in to check if your prescription is ready uses up our staff time and disrupts our work flow. We would ask that patients sign up to our text messaging system which alerts you as soon as your prescription is bagged up and ready to collect.
3. Should I wait until my medication runs out before reordering?
• Please do not wait until you have run out of medication before ordering. It is best to reorder your prescription 7 days before it runs out. This covers the ‘four working day’ rule and leaves several days just in case there are any further issues with your request.
4. Can I ask for my prescription request to jump the queue and be put to the top of the list?
If you are due to run out of medication we ask that you notify the surgery during your request. This means that you are put to the top of the pile when we sort the prescriptions. However, some patients are continually asking for their prescription to jump the queue and be processed urgently. This is unfair on other patients that have ordered their medication in good time. Please avoid ordering at the last minute!
We hope this has been useful and we thank you for your cooperation.
