Important update: prescriptions dispensed by Boots in Pewsey - 10/04/20

One of the most important issues under the current lockdown is prescriptions - here is an update. 

 

For the first week of lockdown, the Pewsey Community volunteer group (PCCA) were taking calls for prescriptions, managing the queue, and delivering hundreds of prescriptions. For technical and legal reasons, that situation could not continue and Boots plc have now taken control. 

 

The important points are:

Anybody needing delivery of prescription medicines (the vulnerable/over 70/isolating) needs to be registered with Boots. The only telephone number to use is 01672 563488 - keep trying, you will eventually get through. Boots deliver on Tuesdays and Thursdays and only to people already registered for their delivery service. Note: anyone who previously had medication delivered by the PCCA should have been added to this Boots register.

For collections (all others, including households where not all members are isolating) Boots now has a staff of six and the queues are a more reasonable 15-20 minutes. Unless you are already registered for text alerts, the only way to know if prescriptions are ready is to phone the Boots number. Boots is open 10-1 and 2-5 Monday to Friday (closes at 4:30 on Saturday).

IMPORTANT - Registration with the NHS for automatic repeat prescriptions does not mean you are registered for the Boots delivery service, which is a completely separate thing. For auto-repeat prescriptions (i.e. the pharmacy processes it without being asked) there no need to re-order – the previous system continues. If the recipient previously had to reorder when required, then the surgery must be notified by you as before, either by dropping off a paper prescription, by ringing the surgery, or by ordering online. 

The system seems to be working well now, but we and the central PCCA will of course try to help anyone that runs into problems. It would also be very useful to have your feedback on how the system is running, whether positive or negative, so that we can pass this on and help with improvements.

 

Thank you for reading this and we hope you are keeping well and safe at home.

 

Jon Ford - jon.ford@me.com

Victoria Coles - victoria.jane.coles@gmail.com

Margaret Thompson - j.f.d.t@btinternet.com