Health professionals are urging patients to get repeat prescription requests in today, December 27, to ensure they have enough medication to see them over the New Year weekend.
Over Christmas about 1,350 Devon patients had to call the already-busy out-of-hours GP service to get emergency medication because they had failed to request their repeat prescription in time for the long holiday weekend.
For New Year, most GP practices will close on Friday evening and won’t reopen until Tuesday, January 2, and as it can take 48 hours to provide repeat prescriptions, patients are asked to act today to avoid running out of essential medication.
Dr John Whitehead, Devon GP, said: “With many GP practices closed for the holidays, the out-of-hours GPs are already working flat out to see patients with urgent health issues, so we really don’t want them using their precious time writing repeat prescriptions for patients who could have ordered their medicine before the holidays.
“Please check that you have enough of your prescription medication to get you through the holidays. That way we can save the slots with the out-of-hours GPs for those people with urgent healthcare issues.”
Now’s also the time to stock up on over-the-counter remedies to treat the common seasonal ailments of flu, coughs and colds and stomach upsets. Ask your pharmacist for advice or find out more about looking after yourself here
There’s also lots of advice in the following short videos:
Return to our home page for more local news here.
You can join us on our social media pages, follow us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up to date with whats going on in South Devon.
Got a news story, blog or press release that you’d like to share or want to advertise with us? Contact us
