How long should a prescription from your NHS doctor last? ie how long before you need another prescription?

it depends on the drug and whether a doctor wants to assess a patients progress on the drug, to alter dosage or change it completely if it doesn't work.

if it's for long term use / health problems i think the guidance is about 4 weeks worth. although it doesn't always work this way and you can find yourself dropping in for repeats every other week for different drugs.

i think there maybe a limit on the maximum amount a pharmacy can give out of each drug and that's possibly a cause of staggered repeats too.

if you are having to get a lot of prescriptions and aren't exempt from paying. there is some kind of top up payment system where you can pay it in advance / instalments. the info on it can be found on the back of the prescription (white repeat part i think).

Is this a trick question?

I ask because unless you have been told to come back for a repeat prescription ( i.e. you have to take these tables regularly for a long period) then doctors will only give you the number of tablets you need for the infection that is being treated at the time. So once there finished, that should (!) be it.

NHS Doctors are not supposed to give long term medication to people who do not need it. Remember it costs money that could be used for other patience! Wasting medicine cost all of us on the NHS.

So if you have tablet left over, but you feel fine- then you can return them ( in the original prescription box) to the pharmacy you got them from. They will destroy them safely- do not throw away!

If you are still feeling ill- then go back to the doctor and get checked out again- the tablets did not work, or you need more.

If you need to be regularly medicated ( heart disease, blood pressure, depression, cancer treatments, diabetic etc) then check when you medications should have been completed and ask your doctor/ surgery for more. They usually need 24 hours notice, then you go and pick up a new prescription.

There are no guide lines as such, but you should check with your doctor about you specific needs.

i'm a Scot residing in England and that i'm uninterested with people having a flow at me for Scottish people getting free prescriptions. in the experience that they prefer responsible all people, then blame the authorities not the individuals. i imagine if Scotland, Wales and northern eire have free prescriptions then so could England - it is in uncomplicated words honest. in my view i don't think of prescriptions could be free everywhere. i imagine pensioners, little ones and people on a low income could get help, and per chance they could verify out lengthy time period prescriptions besides. i do not concepts procuring my prescriptions, yet i'd like to verify the money positioned to sturdy use to clean up the hospitals. I also imagine the "postcode lottery" of drugs is faulty and that device has to also be regarded at.

It depends on the drug you have been prescribed. Antibiotics you only tend to get 5 days because that's all you should need, others you can get 3 or 6 months worth at a time. It all depends on the drug, it's effects, it's side effects (if any) and other criteria.

It depends on what drug has been prescribed.

I have had prescriptions which were for less than a week and others for two months.

Well if your doctor isin NHS (national honors society) then I would trust him. Here at my school that means that he got at least 3.5. Nice