Health professionals in Somerset want you to think ahead this year and get your prescription medication ahead of the Christmas period, making sure you have everything you need before the holidays begin.
During the Christmas holidays, pharmacy and GP surgery times are likely to be altered. It is therefore very important that those in need of repeat prescriptions keep this in mind, and make sure they have enough medicine available to cover them for the entire holiday season.
GP and CCG chair, Dr Ed Ford said, “The holiday period over Christmas and New Year is extremely busy for primary care services (GP surgeries, pharmacies, dentists and optometrists). GP surgeries and most pharmacies will be closed on the bank holidays and will often prioritise patients who have urgent care needs.
“If you have prescription medications that you need to take regularly, please take this into consideration and ensure you order with enough time before Christmas to ensure you have all the medication you need.
“Many patients are taking a range of medicines to manage conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes; such medications need to be taken every day. If patients or their carers think they may run out of prescription medication over the Christmas and New Year holiday, they should re-order the week before Christmas to ensure the pharmacies have enough time to process the request and have the medicine ready before Christmas.”
Superintendent pharmacy manager, Fivos Valagiannopoulos said, “Many local pharmacies will reduce their hours around Christmas and New Year, as many do not open on bank holidays. Therefore it’s advisable to obtain your repeat prescriptions earlier than normal during the holiday period.”
For further information about getting your prescription medications over the holidays please visit the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/ common-health-questions /medicines/can-my-gp- prescribe-extra-medication- to-cover-my-holiday/.
