FAQs
PostboxPharmacy.co.uk – Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions about ordering prescriptions from PostboxPharmacy.co.uk,
our list of Frequently Asked Questions should help you find the answer
What is an NHS prescription?
An NHS prescription is issued by a prescriber, such as a doctor, on behalf of the NHS. In England, as of 1 April 2019, the NHS has set a charge of £9.00 per item on your prescription, unless you’re exempt from payment. Occasionally, a single item may incur multiple charges; these are defined by the NHS. We’ll let you know if this is the case.
There are no NHS prescription charges in Scotland and Wales but if you’re ordering a prescription from us online, and choose to have it delivered to your home, you may have to pay. This is because we dispense our prescriptions in England so the English payment rules apply.
What is a private prescription?
In some cases, you may be given a private rather than an NHS prescription by a prescribing healthcare professional such as a dentist or a doctor. There are no payment exemptions for private prescriptions, so you’ll always need to pay. Charges for private prescriptions vary depending on the medicines.
If you’ve ordered your private prescription and the total cost of your order is over £45, you’ll get free delivery for your medicines. If your order is less than £45 there will be an additional £3.50 charge for delivery.
What is a one-off prescription?
A one-off prescription is issued by a doctor to treat a specific medical condition with medicine for a short period of time. For example, this might be an antibiotic to treat an infection, or a painkiller to help with pain from an injury. You can order these medicines by sending us your prescription after you’ve signed up to use the PostboxPharmacy.co.uk prescription service.
What is a repeat prescription?
A repeat prescription is issued by a prescribing healthcare professional like a doctor, usually for medical conditions which need to be treated for a long period of time. This includes long-term conditions like diabetes. Your prescriber may allow you to request another prescription without having to see them each time you need more medicine. They do this by authorising repeated supplies of the medicine over a specific time period, until a set review date.
Prescription charges
How much do NHS prescriptions cost?
If you live in England and pay for your NHS prescription, you’ll pay the standard cost of each prescription item in England, which is £9.00
If you live in Scotland:
You may be charged if your prescription is delivered to your home, unless one of the English exemption criteria for payment applies to you. This is because our internet pharmacy is based in England, so the NHS prescription charges and rules for England will apply
If you live in Wales:
You may be charged if your prescription is delivered to your home, unless one of the English exemption criteria for payment applies to you. This is because our internet/online pharmacy is based in England, so the NHS prescription charges and rules for England will apply
Occasionally, a single item may incur multiple charges as defined by the NHS. We’ll let you know if this is the case.
If you have any further queries about prescription prices, please speak to our pharmacist on 0161 280 0010.
Can I order prescription items that are exempt from charges (eg contraceptives)?
If you’re exempt from paying for your NHS prescriptions, you can still place an online order without having to pay. If you’re in England, we will need to check your proof of your exemption, like a certificate. When your medicine is delivered to you, the NHS may also contact you for proof of your exemption.
If you’re in Scotland or Wales see ‘how much do NHS prescriptions cost?’ above for more information on prescription charges.
Who gets free prescriptions?
- In England, certain groups of people don’t have to pay for NHS prescriptions including those who:
- Are under 16
- Are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education
- Are 60 years old or over
- Are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
- Have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
- Have a valid prescription pre-payment certificate
- Have a valid war payment exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
- Are named on a current HC2 certificate
- Were prescribed free-of-charge contraceptives
- Have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx
- Get Income support
- Get Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Are entitled to or named on a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
- Have a partner who gets Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
The reasons for exemption are also listed on the back of your prescription form. The pharmacy team will be happy to help you understand these exemptions.
If you are in Scotland or Wales, your NHS prescriptions are free unless you order online with us and have it delivered to your home. See ‘how much do NHS prescriptions cost?’ for more information.
I live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland where NHS prescription charges are different. How does this affect PostboxPharmacy.co.uk online prescription services?
You can still use the PostboxPharmacy.co.uk Repeat NHS Prescription Service to order your medicines online but for home delivery we must follow the English payment rules because we dispense our prescriptions in England. This means charging £9.00 per item, unless you meet the English payment exemption criteria listed above.
Payment
If I pay for my prescriptions, when will payment be taken?
We’ll take your payment details when you place the order. However, we’ll not charge you until your medicines are dispatched.
Online prescription services
How do I order my NHS prescription?
You can re- order your repeat NHS prescriptions by sending us an email or calling us on our customer service number. If your GP does not allow us to order your repeat prescription on your behalf, you must continue to order your repeat prescription. We can send you a reminder via SMS message to let you know when to order your next repeat to ensure you receive your medicines in good time.
If you have a one-off prescription, we can dispense it through our online one-off prescription service.
How long does it take for medicines to arrive if I order them online?
If you’re using our repeat prescription service, it can take up to 5 working days for your prescription to be fulfilled from our online pharmacy. For this reason, our service is not suitable for any prescriptions you may need straight away/in an emergency. Instead, ask your doctor for a paper prescription and take this to a local pharmacy so that they can dispense your medicine for you straight away.
If you use our one-off prescription service, we’ll dispatch your order as soon as you send us your prescription. It will then take about two working days for your medicines to arrive by post.
If I choose the online service, will I be able to see a pharmacist and receive advice about my medicines?
You can talk to our pharmacist over the phone or use video chat over Skype. But if you require a face-to-face consultation, we advise you to visit your local pharmacy, they’ll be happy to arrange for you to have a consultation in a private room in the store.
Can I get a refund on prescription charges for medicines bought online?
Once your medicines have been dispatched for delivery, or you have collected them, we can’t accept returns or offer refunds on prescription charges for medicines.
How do I change my order once I’ve placed it?
If you placed a prescription order to be delivered to you, please contact the PostboxPharmacy.co.uk on 0161 280 0010.
Delivery
How will I know when my medicines are ready?
If you’ve placed an order with us for a repeat prescription, we’ll let you know by text message when your medicines have been dispatched.
When will I receive my medicines by post?
We’ll notify you when we have dispatched your order. This will normally be within two working days of us receiving your prescription from you or your GP (subject to stock availability). Your prescription will be sent via Royal Mail 1st class recorded delivery, so will usually be delivered within two working days of dispatch. The package will need to be signed for by someone aged 18 or over.
How will my medicines be delivered?
Your medicines will be delivered via the Royal Mail 1st class recorded delivery service. They will usually be delivered within two working days of dispatch.
Do you deliver refrigerated items and controlled drug prescriptions?
We will deliver controlled drug items to you using a registered courier that has special authority to handle these types of medications. We will send all refrigerated medicines separately to all other medication using a specialist cold-chain courier, which will ensure that your medication is kept at the required temperature throughout its journey.
Can you deliver to my workplace?
Yes, as long as there is someone over the age of 18 to sign for the parcel. We can deliver to any UK address apart from PO boxes.
Can you deliver overseas?
Sorry, we’re only able to supply customers in the UK with prescriptions issued by UK registered prescribers.
Do I need to be in for delivery of my medicines and what happens if I am out?
Someone over the age of 18 must be in to sign for the medicines. If you’re not in when the delivery is made then a card will be put through your door with details of when you can expect a re-delivery.
What can I do about getting my repeat prescription earlier if I’m going to be away?
We’ll do our best to make sure you still have the medicine you need. If you normally get your medicine delivered to your home, please call 0161 280 0010.
What are the delivery charges for prescriptions delivered to my home?
There is no delivery charge for NHS prescriptions.
For private prescriptions, if the order total is less than £45, the delivery cost is £3.50. If the order is over £45, we’ll deliver your medicines free of charge.
Please note, if your order includes an NHS prescription and a private prescription costing less than £45 you will be charged for delivery.
Who can I contact if there is a problem with delivering my prescription?
If you haven’t received your prescription order, or if it is incomplete, please contact us as soon as possible on our number on 0161 280 0010 and we’ll resolve any issues.
Unfortunately, once prescription medicines have been dispatched, we can’t offer a refund.
Can I return unwanted medicines?
Yes, you can take them to your local pharmacy for disposal, but we won’t be able to offer you a refund on unwanted medicine.
Repeat prescriptions
How long will it take to receive my order?
From placing your order, it can take up to 5 working days for your prescription to be fulfilled from our online pharmacy. For this reason, our service is not suitable for any prescriptions you may need straight away. Instead, ask your doctor for a paper prescription and take this to a local pharmacy so that they can dispense your medicine for you.
Who can use PostboxPharmacy.co.uk Repeat NHS Prescription Service?
PostboxPharmacy.co.uk Repeat NHS Prescription Service is suitable for those who already have a repeat NHS prescription from their GP. This is usually for long-term or chronic conditions like diabetes. You can use the service to order medicines for yourself or on behalf of someone else. To place a repeat prescription order you must be aged 16 or over.
What should I do if I have a problem once I have received my prescription order?
If you ordered a repeat prescription to be delivered to you, please contact us directly on our customer care number 0161 280 0010.
How do I make a complaint?
Our aim is to provide excellent service at all times. If we fail to reach these standards and you’re unhappy with our prescription service in any way, please contact us via one of the following methods:
Call our customer care number on 0161 280 0010
Email: info@postboxpharmacy.co.uk
or using the contact form here
or using the contact form here
Write with your complaint to:
PostboxPharmacy.co.uk
235 Market Street,
Bury,
BL9 9AA
Is my personal data safe and how will I know it won’t be accessible to anyone else?
We’ll only ask you for information to enable us to dispense your prescription for you. Your prescription details are stored securely on our systems.
PostboxPharmacy.co.uk is committed to protecting your privacy. We believe in using your personal information to make things simpler and better for you. We will always keep your personal information safe and will never sell it to third parties. We will be clear and open with you about why we collect your personal information and how we use it. See our privacy policy for more information.
What is the Yellow Card Scheme?
The Yellow Card Scheme allows you to report problems or incidents (including suspected side effects) from any of medicine or medical device (which includes vaccines and herbal medicines) that you are taking. The scheme is vital in helping the medicines safety watchdog called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitor the safety of all healthcare products in the UK. This is to ensure that they are acceptably safe for patients and those who use them. Please report any suspected side effect on the Yellow Card Scheme website.
I’ve had an unwanted side effect from a medicine that isn’t listed on the Patient Information Leaflet, what should I do?
If you have any unwanted side effects after using a medicine, that isn’t listed on the Patient Information Leaflet, please tell your pharmacist or doctor.
It’s also important you let us know. You can call our Customer Care team on 0161 280 0010, or email us info@postboxpharmacy.co.uk or contact us here
You can check the registration PostboxPharmacy.co.uk online pharmacy on the website of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) here.
The Pharmacy Superintendent (Usman Karam) for PostboxPharmacy.co.uk is responsible for the pharmacy service provided. If you would like to speak to our pharmacist please contact us on 0161 280 0010.
