Peterlee Pharmacy is a delivery only pharmacy based in Peterlee. Peterlee Pharmacy offers free Repeat Prescription Service which includes Prescription Ordering, Collection & Delivery directly to you, be that home, work or any address of your choosing. As a distance selling pharmacy we also provide a full range of essential services to persons anywhere in England. Just contact us for more information on the full range of services we provide.
The Pharmacy and Superintendents Registration can be checked on the website with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Peterlee Pharmacy also provides the following information and services for which you can contact the pharmacy directly for more information:
We currently have A bell positioned on the entry door to alert us when assistance is needed. We also offer a dossette (weekly medication tray) service for those who have difficulty taking their medicines. Our staff work hard to provide you with the best possible service. Please treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve. We reserve the right to refuse to provide services to individuals who act in a violent, threatening or aggressive manner.
When we are closed…
When this pharmacy is closed, health advice and information, including details of other local health services, is available around the clock from NHS direct. You can use:
•NHS Direct online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
•NHS Direct Interactive on digital satellite
TV
•The NHS Direct telephone service on 0845
4647.
We dispense NHS prescriptions and will give advice on how to get the most benefit from your medicines. We keep a comprehensive stock of medicines and use a fast and an efficient wholesaler service to enable us to fill all prescriptions promptly.
If you have out of date or unwanted medicines, both prescription or over the counter drugs, don’t bin them or flush them.
You can take your unwanted or out of date medicines back to your Pharmacy for safe disposal, and it’s completely FREE. Contact one of our Pharmacy team for more information.
Each year, enormous quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets and sinks. The effects on the environment and human health are unclear but evidence is pointing to the presence of chemicals from prescriptions and over-the-counter medications in soil, drinking water and the surrounding environment. Just as proper medication administration is important, so is safe and cautious disposal.
£300 million could pay for:
80,906 MORE hip replacements*
101,351 MORE knee replacements*
19,799 MORE drug treatment courses for breast cancer*
11,778 MORE community nurses*
300,000 MORE drug treatment courses for Alzheimer’s*
*Based on average costs
Please let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines
Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering
Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis
Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need
If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.
If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag.
Please also remember that your medicines are prescribed only for you; it’s not safe to share them with anyone else.
Even if you never open them, once medicines have left the Pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else.
Please bring your unused medicines to the Pharmacy for safe disposal.
NEVER dispose of your unused or unwanted medicines down the toilet
Return out of date medicines to your Pharmacy or dispensary for safe disposal
If your medicines change – return your old medicines to the Pharmacy for safe disposal to avoid mixing them up with your new medicines
Don’t stockpile medication – it is a safety risk for children and others who might take them
Store medicines in an appropriate place out of reach of children
If you need one of your regular medicines in an emergency when you are unable to
contact your doctor, we may be able to help.
We must stress that this can only be done in genuine emergencies and it may incur a charge.
If you would like any more information about any of the services mentioned, please ask a member of staff or telephone the number on the front of this leaflet.
The pharmacist and our trained assistants are available for advice on all medicines and minor ailments, in private if required. We can also give you advice on how to live a healthy life, for example, advice on how to stop smoking, or healthy diets. We can direct you to other sources of advice and assistance if we cannot help you ourselves.
All medicines are dispensed in child resistant containers unless you request us not to. Please remember: keep all medicines out of reach and sight of children. Our pharmacist can advise you on safe
storage of medicines.
The medicines you are taking
What they do
How well they work for you
How to get the most out of them
A medicines use review is an appointment with one of our pharmacists to focus on how you are getting on with your medicines. It is an NHS service and you don’t need to pay for it.
Help you find out more about the medicines you are taking
Pick up any problems you are having with your medicines
Improve the effectiveness of your medicines. There may be easier ways to take them, or you may find you need fewer medicines than before.
Get better value for the NHS- making sure that your medicines are right for you prevents unnecessary waste.
Our pharmacist will have questions to ask you, and may suggest changes to your medicines. You may have concerns or questions that you want to ask. You can ask anything at all about your medicines.
Remember you can ask our pharmacist questions at any time, but a review will give you and us both more time to concentrate on you and your medicines.
Our pharmacist might invite you for a review either in person or in a letter through the post.
You can also ask our pharmacist for a review. You must have been getting your prescriptions from us for three months or more.
Is a medicines use review for you?
You can ask for a medicines use review if:
You are regularly taking more than one prescription medicine
You are taking medicines for a long term illness (like asthma, arthritis, diabetes or epilepsy)
Our pharmacist will be happy to arrange a review meeting, and may even suggest it. Your doctor or nurse might also suggest that a review would be helpful.
Even if you are not in either of these groups, you can ask our pharmacist for advice at any time.
If there is an urgent problem with medicines, don’t wait for a medicines use review. If you or somebody else, notice one of the things on this list, don’t delay:
If you have taken too much of any medicine
If you have an allergic reaction to a new medicine (such as wheezing, rash, swelling or fainting)
If you notice a serious side effect or any unusual symptoms
If you notice your health getting worse
In any of these cases, talk to a doctor or pharmacist straight away.
Our pharmacists have undergone special training and have been assessed to make sure they have the right knowledge and skills to provide this service.
The meeting is confidential.
•We have private consultation rooms in our pharmacies where you sit down together with the pharmacist and can’t be overheard by customers or staff.
•Your details and your discussion will be kept private. You can talk openly and your questions or worries will be listened to. Only you and your GP will normally receive a record of the meeting.
Our pharmacist will listen and help
•We will be ready to hear your concerns and your questions. You can be open with us and say whatever you want in these meetings.
•Our pharmacists will only know about medicines that you have received from our pharmacy. We will not have a record of prescriptions you may have picked up from another pharmacy. We will not have your medical history or details about your illness. So it’s important to tell us as much as you can.
What happens afterwards?
•Everything may be okay with your medicines and nothing else will need to happen.
•You will be given an Action Plan which will include any changes you have agreed in the way you take your medicines. This will be filled in by our pharmacist during the review.
•A copy of the Action Plan will go to your doctor and be kept with your medical notes.
•Our pharmacist may recommend a change to your prescription. You will have a note of this in the Action Plan. Both you and your doctor will need to agree on any changes to your prescription, so you may be asked to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss these. No changes will be made against your will.
These are just suggestions. You can ask us any questions you like about your medicines.
•What does this medicine do?
•Why is it important that I take this medicine?
•Are there any other treatment options?
•When and how should I take it?
•How long should I take it for?
•What other medicines, drinks, foods or activities should I be aware of when I am taking this medicine?
•What should I do if I don’t feel well while taking it?
•How do I know it’s helping?
•How can I be sure it’s safe for me to take?
•What are the possible risks and side effects?
•What should I do if I get one of these effects?
•Could another medicine do a better job, with less risk?
•What if I stopped taking it, or took a lower dose?
•Will the medicine build up in my body?
•Do I really need to take these medicines?
•Is there anything that can help to remind me to take my medicines?
•Can I have containers that are easier to open?
•Could you provide the patient information leaflet in larger print?
•Where can I go for more information?
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any more information on the Medicines Use Review service.
We keep a wide range of over the counter medicines and also vitamins and mineral supplements.
At Peterlee Pharmacy we offer a Monitored Dosage System that can help patients who take a lot of different medications at different times of day and have trouble keeping up with what they are meant to be taking and when.
A Monitored Dosage System is a method of dispensing your medication so we can help you keep track of what to take and when to take it. You will receive your medication in a special tray similar to the one pictured below. This tray has a number of compartments, which are very easy to open, that have days of the week and time of the day labelled on them.
The pharmacist will fill this tray with the medication you need to take in the appropriate compartments. This means you will not need to struggle with lots of tablet boxes and pushing tablets out of often hard to open blister packs.
Patients taking large quantities of different medication.
Patients who find it hard to remember what to take and when to take it.
Patients with restricted use of their hands, for example those suffering with arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease or M.S.
Patients who have complex medicine regimes meaning they have to take different medications on different days.
Patients who are partially sighted.
Once we have received a prescription from the patients’ Doctor, we will pack the medication into a Monitored Dosage System and label appropriately. This will be supplied to the patient on a weekly basis or as specified by the prescriber.
We also provide pharmaceutical services to local residential and nursing homes which includes delivering Monitored Dosage Systems and giving advice on using, storing and disposing of medicines safely.
Our pharmacist is always available to answer any questions about medicines – so don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help people understand what their medicines are for and how best to take them.
The New Medicine Service (NMS) is a free NHS service available at Peterlee Pharmacy that can help you to get the most out of your newly prescribed medicine.
This service is for customers prescribed with new medicines, who may find it difficult to understand when and how to take them properly. This includes those taking medicines for:
Asthma
Lung conditions, such as COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema
Type 2 Diabetes
High blood pressure
Conditions where you take a medicine to control the way your blood clots (anticoagulants or antiplatelet medication)
Whether you have been recently diagnosed, or living for some time with one of the conditions listed above, it can still be overwhelming when you get prescribed a new medicine to help manage your symptoms.
Your GP will explain how and when you take your medicines and it’s very important that you follow this advice. But, there may be questions you think of after you start taking your medicine, especially because it may take time before you feel the effects. In some cases, it is perfectly normal to experience side effects as your body gets used to the new medicine. It’s important to know as much as possible so you know what to expect.
This is where the New Medicine Service can help. Our pharmacists are experts in medicines; they are able to offer you support and advice and answer any questions or concerns, so your new medicine becomes a normal part of your daily routine.
If you live elsewhere in the UK you can still get new medicine support and advice from our pharmacists. Just pop in and ask; they’ll be more than happy to help you.
Step 1 – Signing up for the New Medicine Service
Speak to a member of the pharmacy team to check you are eligible for the New Medicine Service
We’ll then make an appointment for you to discuss your new medicine with our pharmacist. This will take place in 7-14 days time and can either be face-to-face in the pharmacy or over the phone – it’s your choice
Step 2 – Your first consultation
We’ll discuss your condition and find out how you’re getting on with your new medicine
It’s your chance to talk about any concerns or problems you are experiencing and we’ll help you to find solutions
Our pharmacists will also be able to suggest lifestyle changes you could make that will help to make your medicine more effective
We’ll then make another appointment for a follow-up conversation in another 14-21 days
Step 3 – Your follow-up consultation
This appointment can again be either face-to-face or over the phone
We’ll check that everything is going smoothly and you’re happy with your medicine
It’s another chance for you to ask any other questions you may have about your new medicine
Keeping your GP informed
This is a NHS service so we do tell your GP that you’ve taken part in the service, and also let them know the outcome of our discussions. This is really important as it helps to give a consistent approach to your treatment, and will keep them informed about any concerns you've had and how we have worked through them.
IMPORTANT: It’s essential that you always take your medicine. If you’re unsure about anything, please speak to our pharmacist or a doctor for advice. Never simply stop your treatment as this could have negative effects.
Our computer allows us to keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. We comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. We provide these NHS services on behalf of:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33
(Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm,
excluding English Bank Holidays)
We can dispense NHS repeat dispensing prescriptions issued by your doctor. Ask us for more information about this service.
We offer a repeat prescription collection service from a number of surgeries. Please ask for details.
We currently have A bell positioned on the entry door to alert us when assistance is needed. We also offer a dossette (weekly medication tray) service for those who have difficulty taking their medicines. Our staff work hard to provide you with the best possible service. Please treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve. We reserve the right to refuse to provide services to individuals who act in a violent, threatening or aggressive manner.
When we are closed…
When this pharmacy is closed, health advice and information, including details of other local health services, is available around the clock from NHS direct. You can use:
•NHS Direct online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
•NHS Direct Interactive on digital satellite
TV
•The NHS Direct telephone service on 0845
4647.
We dispense NHS prescriptions and will give advice on how to get the most benefit from your medicines. We keep a comprehensive stock of medicines and use a fast and an efficient wholesaler service to enable us to fill all prescriptions promptly.
If you have out of date or unwanted medicines, both prescription or over the counter drugs, don’t bin them or flush them.
You can take your unwanted or out of date medicines back to your Pharmacy for safe disposal, and it’s completely FREE. Contact one of our Pharmacy team for more information.
Each year, enormous quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets and sinks. The effects on the environment and human health are unclear but evidence is pointing to the presence of chemicals from prescriptions and over-the-counter medications in soil, drinking water and the surrounding environment. Just as proper medication administration is important, so is safe and cautious disposal.
£300 million could pay for:
80,906 MORE hip replacements*
101,351 MORE knee replacements*
19,799 MORE drug treatment courses for breast cancer*
11,778 MORE community nurses*
300,000 MORE drug treatment courses for Alzheimer’s*
*Based on average costs
Please let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines
Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering
Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis
Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need
If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.
If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag.
Please also remember that your medicines are prescribed only for you; it’s not safe to share them with anyone else.
Even if you never open them, once medicines have left the Pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else.
Please bring your unused medicines to the Pharmacy for safe disposal.
NEVER dispose of your unused or unwanted medicines down the toilet
Return out of date medicines to your Pharmacy or dispensary for safe disposal
If your medicines change – return your old medicines to the Pharmacy for safe disposal to avoid mixing them up with your new medicines
Don’t stockpile medication – it is a safety risk for children and others who might take them
Store medicines in an appropriate place out of reach of children
If you need one of your regular medicines in an emergency when you are unable to
contact your doctor, we may be able to help.
We must stress that this can only be done in genuine emergencies and it may incur a charge.
If you would like any more information about any of the services mentioned, please ask a member of staff or telephone the number on the front of this leaflet.
The pharmacist and our trained assistants are available for advice on all medicines and minor ailments, in private if required. We can also give you advice on how to live a healthy life, for example, advice on how to stop smoking, or healthy diets. We can direct you to other sources of advice and assistance if we cannot help you ourselves.
All medicines are dispensed in child resistant containers unless you request us not to. Please remember: keep all medicines out of reach and sight of children. Our pharmacist can advise you on safe
storage of medicines.
The medicines you are taking
What they do
How well they work for you
How to get the most out of them
A medicines use review is an appointment with one of our pharmacists to focus on how you are getting on with your medicines. It is an NHS service and you don’t need to pay for it.
Help you find out more about the medicines you are taking
Pick up any problems you are having with your medicines
Improve the effectiveness of your medicines. There may be easier ways to take them, or you may find you need fewer medicines than before.
Get better value for the NHS- making sure that your medicines are right for you prevents unnecessary waste.
Our pharmacist will have questions to ask you, and may suggest changes to your medicines. You may have concerns or questions that you want to ask. You can ask anything at all about your medicines.
Remember you can ask our pharmacist questions at any time, but a review will give you and us both more time to concentrate on you and your medicines.
Our pharmacist might invite you for a review either in person or in a letter through the post.
You can also ask our pharmacist for a review. You must have been getting your prescriptions from us for three months or more.
Is a medicines use review for you?
You can ask for a medicines use review if:
You are regularly taking more than one prescription medicine
You are taking medicines for a long term illness (like asthma, arthritis, diabetes or epilepsy)
Our pharmacist will be happy to arrange a review meeting, and may even suggest it. Your doctor or nurse might also suggest that a review would be helpful.
Even if you are not in either of these groups, you can ask our pharmacist for advice at any time.
If there is an urgent problem with medicines, don’t wait for a medicines use review. If you or somebody else, notice one of the things on this list, don’t delay:
If you have taken too much of any medicine
If you have an allergic reaction to a new medicine (such as wheezing, rash, swelling or fainting)
If you notice a serious side effect or any unusual symptoms
If you notice your health getting worse
In any of these cases, talk to a doctor or pharmacist straight away.
Our pharmacists have undergone special training and have been assessed to make sure they have the right knowledge and skills to provide this service.
The meeting is confidential.
•We have private consultation rooms in our pharmacies where you sit down together with the pharmacist and can’t be overheard by customers or staff.
•Your details and your discussion will be kept private. You can talk openly and your questions or worries will be listened to. Only you and your GP will normally receive a record of the meeting.
Our pharmacist will listen and help
•We will be ready to hear your concerns and your questions. You can be open with us and say whatever you want in these meetings.
•Our pharmacists will only know about medicines that you have received from our pharmacy. We will not have a record of prescriptions you may have picked up from another pharmacy. We will not have your medical history or details about your illness. So it’s important to tell us as much as you can.
What happens afterwards?
•Everything may be okay with your medicines and nothing else will need to happen.
•You will be given an Action Plan which will include any changes you have agreed in the way you take your medicines. This will be filled in by our pharmacist during the review.
•A copy of the Action Plan will go to your doctor and be kept with your medical notes.
•Our pharmacist may recommend a change to your prescription. You will have a note of this in the Action Plan. Both you and your doctor will need to agree on any changes to your prescription, so you may be asked to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss these. No changes will be made against your will.
These are just suggestions. You can ask us any questions you like about your medicines.
•What does this medicine do?
•Why is it important that I take this medicine?
•Are there any other treatment options?
•When and how should I take it?
•How long should I take it for?
•What other medicines, drinks, foods or activities should I be aware of when I am taking this medicine?
•What should I do if I don’t feel well while taking it?
•How do I know it’s helping?
•How can I be sure it’s safe for me to take?
•What are the possible risks and side effects?
•What should I do if I get one of these effects?
•Could another medicine do a better job, with less risk?
•What if I stopped taking it, or took a lower dose?
•Will the medicine build up in my body?
•Do I really need to take these medicines?
•Is there anything that can help to remind me to take my medicines?
•Can I have containers that are easier to open?
•Could you provide the patient information leaflet in larger print?
•Where can I go for more information?
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any more information on the Medicines Use Review service.
We keep a wide range of over the counter medicines and also vitamins and mineral supplements.
At Peterlee Pharmacy we offer a Monitored Dosage System that can help patients who take a lot of different medications at different times of day and have trouble keeping up with what they are meant to be taking and when.
A Monitored Dosage System is a method of dispensing your medication so we can help you keep track of what to take and when to take it. You will receive your medication in a special tray similar to the one pictured below. This tray has a number of compartments, which are very easy to open, that have days of the week and time of the day labelled on them.
The pharmacist will fill this tray with the medication you need to take in the appropriate compartments. This means you will not need to struggle with lots of tablet boxes and pushing tablets out of often hard to open blister packs.
Patients taking large quantities of different medication.
Patients who find it hard to remember what to take and when to take it.
Patients with restricted use of their hands, for example those suffering with arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease or M.S.
Patients who have complex medicine regimes meaning they have to take different medications on different days.
Patients who are partially sighted.
Once we have received a prescription from the patients’ Doctor, we will pack the medication into a Monitored Dosage System and label appropriately. This will be supplied to the patient on a weekly basis or as specified by the prescriber.
We also provide pharmaceutical services to local residential and nursing homes which includes delivering Monitored Dosage Systems and giving advice on using, storing and disposing of medicines safely.
Our pharmacist is always available to answer any questions about medicines – so don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help people understand what their medicines are for and how best to take them.
The New Medicine Service (NMS) is a free NHS service available at Peterlee Pharmacy that can help you to get the most out of your newly prescribed medicine.
This service is for customers prescribed with new medicines, who may find it difficult to understand when and how to take them properly. This includes those taking medicines for:
Asthma
Lung conditions, such as COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema
Type 2 Diabetes
High blood pressure
Conditions where you take a medicine to control the way your blood clots (anticoagulants or antiplatelet medication)
Whether you have been recently diagnosed, or living for some time with one of the conditions listed above, it can still be overwhelming when you get prescribed a new medicine to help manage your symptoms.
Your GP will explain how and when you take your medicines and it’s very important that you follow this advice. But, there may be questions you think of after you start taking your medicine, especially because it may take time before you feel the effects. In some cases, it is perfectly normal to experience side effects as your body gets used to the new medicine. It’s important to know as much as possible so you know what to expect.
This is where the New Medicine Service can help. Our pharmacists are experts in medicines; they are able to offer you support and advice and answer any questions or concerns, so your new medicine becomes a normal part of your daily routine.
If you live elsewhere in the UK you can still get new medicine support and advice from our pharmacists. Just pop in and ask; they’ll be more than happy to help you.
Step 1 – Signing up for the New Medicine Service
Speak to a member of the pharmacy team to check you are eligible for the New Medicine Service
We’ll then make an appointment for you to discuss your new medicine with our pharmacist. This will take place in 7-14 days time and can either be face-to-face in the pharmacy or over the phone – it’s your choice
Step 2 – Your first consultation
We’ll discuss your condition and find out how you’re getting on with your new medicine
It’s your chance to talk about any concerns or problems you are experiencing and we’ll help you to find solutions
Our pharmacists will also be able to suggest lifestyle changes you could make that will help to make your medicine more effective
We’ll then make another appointment for a follow-up conversation in another 14-21 days
Step 3 – Your follow-up consultation
This appointment can again be either face-to-face or over the phone
We’ll check that everything is going smoothly and you’re happy with your medicine
It’s another chance for you to ask any other questions you may have about your new medicine
Keeping your GP informed
This is a NHS service so we do tell your GP that you’ve taken part in the service, and also let them know the outcome of our discussions. This is really important as it helps to give a consistent approach to your treatment, and will keep them informed about any concerns you've had and how we have worked through them.
IMPORTANT: It’s essential that you always take your medicine. If you’re unsure about anything, please speak to our pharmacist or a doctor for advice. Never simply stop your treatment as this could have negative effects.
Our computer allows us to keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. We comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. We provide these NHS services on behalf of:
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
By email to: england.contactus@nhs.net
By telephone: 0300 311 22 33
(Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm,
excluding English Bank Holidays)
We can dispense NHS repeat dispensing prescriptions issued by your doctor. Ask us for more information about this service.
We offer a repeat prescription collection service from a number of surgeries. Please ask for details.