Collecting a prescription from the GP surgery
You can collect a repeat prescription for a friend, or relative, from the GP surgery. You will usually be asked to confirm the name and address of the person you are collecting the prescription for. The GP surgery is not legally required to check your identity, but it is considered good practice to check in order to prevent the wrong prescription being given out to a patient.
Your local pharmacy may offer a prescription collection service, which means that a pharmacist will collect your prescription from the GP surgery for you. They need to be able to confirm their identity and prove that they are acting on your behalf and with your permission. Pharmacists, like GPs, have a responsibility to make sure that all patients' details are kept confidential.
Taking a prescription to the pharmacy
You can take a prescription form to the pharmacy to collect someone else's medication for them. The patient must complete part 1 of the prescription form (FP10) and the patients representative must complete parts 2 and 3.
If the patient has to pay prescription charges the correct amount must be entered in part 2. If the patient is exempt the correct evidence should be provided.
The pharmacist will then check the back of the FP10 form to make sure that it is signed and the appropriate category is ticked if the patient is exempt from charges, and that you are acting on the patient's behalf and have their permission.
If you have a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC), you can only use it for prescriptions that have been issued to you and not if you are collecting for somebody else.
If a false claim of exemption is made a penalty charge may be issued and the patient could be prosecuted. Routine checks are made.
If you are collecting 'controlled medication' for someone else, you are legally required to show the pharmacist proof of your identity. Controlled medication includes morphine, pethidine, and methadone. These medicines are prone to being misused, so have stricter legal controls on their supply.
The dispensing pharmacist will use their professional judgement to assess the prescription and the person collecting it, and for whom the medicine is prescribed as well as the specific situation.
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