Pharmacy

What happens when you bring your prescription to the pharmacy

• You will need to answer a few questions to ensure we can process your prescription safely. Identity of the patient will need to be confirmed. We will ask you about allergies, other medications and any other health conditions you may have. Please ensure you have a complete list of all the medications you are taking from your GP and other hospitals.

• The pharmacist will check the prescription is both legally valid and safe for you. This will include checking the dose is correct, any interactions with other medications, and if the medication is suitable if you have any other conditions e.g. asthma, kidney or heart problems.

• If at this stage there are any queries, we may have to ask you further questions or speak with the prescriber before we can process the prescription. This can take some time depending on the nature of the query, especially if we have to contact the prescriber and the prescription needs to be amended.

• Once the prescription has been checked by the pharmacist, it will be sent for dispensing. This is usually performed by a pharmacy technician or assistant. They will collect the medicine(s) required and calculate the correct quantities. They will then produce computer generated labels which will have the details of the medication, directions and your name - this is a legal requirement for all dispensed items. The labels will be attached to the medicines containers and then sent for a final check.

• The final accuracy check is there to ensure that you receive the medications as prescribed. This will be performed by a pharmacist or accredited checking pharmacy technician. It involves:

  • Checking the correct medicines have been dispensed

  • The dispensing labels have the correct information

  • The quantities are correct

• Once complete, the prescription is ready to hand out. You will be called and we will go through all the dispensed medicines as follows:

  • The name of the medicine, what it is used for, how to use it

  • Any special storage requirements

  • Any significant adverse effects to look out for and advice on how to reduce them if appropriate

  • How to obtain further supplies via the GP if needed

  • An opportunity to ask any questions

Prescriptions will be given out as soon are they are ready. Some prescriptions will take longer than others, though we aim to have most prescriptions ready within 20-30 minutes. You may come back later, or a representative may collect on your behalf provided they can confirm your identity.

Prescription charges

All medications are currently charged at £9.90 per item as of April 2026. Please note that the charge generally increases every year. If you have an exemption, you will not need to pay the charge though you will need to provide evidence for the exemption and sign a declaration.

If you obtain more that 3 items, it is usually cheaper to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC). This will cover the cost for all NHS prescriptions (whether from hospitals or your GP) within the validity period of the certificate. The costs for the certificates as of April 2026 are:

• £32.05 for 3 months

• £114.50 for 12 months

This means if you’re going to buy 4 or more prescriptions in 3 months, or 12 or more prescriptions in 12 months, it may be cheaper to buy a PPC.

You can buy the PPC online via the NHS website at https://buy-prescription-prepayment-certificate.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/start

Repeat Prescriptions

Our pharmacies will only supply newly initiated medicines, defined courses or those where there has been a change in dosage.

Prescriptions for current ongoing items must be obtained via your GP and local pharmacy. When you have a consultation, appointment or procedure, the prescriber will write a letter which will be sent electronically to the GP which will detail the medicines to be continued. The letter will also appear in your NHS medical record.

You will need to contact your GP to ensure the medicines are added to your repeat prescription. Once this is done, you can request from them a new prescription (in many cases you can do this electronically/ via the NHS or GP application on your smartphone), and the prescription can be sent to your nominated pharmacy for dispensing. You must do this a few days before you run out of your medications to allow time for the GP and your pharmacy to process the request.

Moorfields will continue to supply the following medicines only:

• Specialist medicines which can only be obtained via the hospital

• Immunosuppressant medicines where you are being monitored at Moorfields

• Certain medicines which are not available locally (e.g. ‘red listed’ medicines) – your GP will need to notify your Consultant if they are unable to prescribe these medicines.

If you are having difficulties obtaining regular medicines because your local pharmacy cannot supply or GP won’t prescribe please do not present to A&E or call the nursing helpline if you are having difficulty obtaining regular medications locally.

For medicines which are unavailable from your local pharmacy, other community pharmacies may have this in stock. Your local pharmacy should also try to obtain via other suppliers and should speak with your GP about temporary alternatives.

If there is still an issue, contact your GP surgery. We have a medicines shortage page for GPs and pharmacists which gives advice on alternatives.

Your GP should contact your Consultant if they are unable to prescribe repeat medications or need any further information regarding your treatment.

If you have lost or run out of your medication course

If you were prescribed a course of medications, for example steroid drops following an operation or a visit to A&E, and have lost or run out of the drops prior to the course finishing, please contact the pharmacy or ward/ clinic where you obtained the original supply for advice.

All pharmacies are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Please follow the links below for useful information

• How to use your eye drops

• Using eye drops during Ramadan

• Homecare service information

• Atropine eye drops for pre- dilation before an appointment

• Interferon eye drops

• Mitomycin C eye drops 0.02% or 0.04%

• Cyclopentolate eye drops for pre-dilation before an appointment

Compliance aids to help administer eye drops

Please speak to any Moorfields pharmacy staff or your local pharmacy if you are having trouble administering your drops. There are different compliance aids for different medicines. Links for the different aids we keep can be found below:

• Compliance aids: eyGuide ®

• Compliance aids: Alcon Eyot ®

• Compliance aids: Autodrop ®

• Compliance aids: ComplEye ®

• Compliance aids: DropAid ®

• Compliance aids: Thea Eyot ®

• Compliance aids: Opticare Arthro ®

• Compliance aids Opticare

• Compliance aids eye drop bottle opener

Know Your Drops

For eye conditions, such as Glaucoma, it is vital for you to keep up with your eye drops to help you manage the condition. 

Please watch our short video for tips on how to correctly administer any drops you may be required to use. 

Ophthalmic Formulary V1.48 March 2026