Wigan residents reminded to order repeat prescriptions ahead of August bank holiday

The North West’s chief pharmacist is reminding people not to leave it too late to order repeat prescriptions with the bank holiday on Monday, August 29 approaching.

On the last bank holiday, the NHS 111 phone service saw more than a 400 per cent increase in people calling about repeat prescriptions – rising from 801 calls in the three days before the jubilee bank holiday to 4,287 in the first three days of the jubilee weekend.

Karen O’Brien heads up the pharmacy service across the region and says any repeat prescriptions will need to be ordered before Monday, August 22 at the latest, as many GP practices and pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the bank holiday weekend.

She said: “By re-stocking medicine cabinets, knowing when your GP practice is open and planning ahead for repeat prescriptions, people can ensure they make the most of the bank holiday weekend.

"Running out of your usual medication can have serious consequences, especially if you use them to control heart and breathing problems or a health condition such as diabetes, and is the last thing you want to do while your friends and family are celebrating.”

Most GP practices need a minimum of 48 hours to issue a repeat prescription, while community pharmacies generally need between 24 and 48 hours to prepare medicines.

If people feel unwell over the bank holiday weekend, they can check symptoms and get access to advice at 111.nhs.uk