Private prescriptions in London

If one of our doctors has prescribed your medication before and agreed it can be repeated, you can request further prescriptions without booking an appointment. Call 020 7736 7557 and tell us the medication, and either your preferred pharmacy or that you would like to collect from Basuto.

If you are worried about any aspect of your medication, or about side effects, please book to see a doctor rather than requesting a repeat – same-day appointments are usually available.

Repeat prescriptions are free for members. Non-members pay £30 per request. Every request is reviewed by a Basuto doctor before it is issued. Occasionally, your doctor may ask to see you before providing further repeats, for example if your blood pressure needs checking or blood tests are due. This helps make sure the medication remains safe and appropriate for you.

A medication review is a consultation focused on whether your current treatment still fits the problem it was prescribed for. It is particularly worthwhile where medication has been taken for some time, where symptoms have changed, or where monitoring is normally required.

A review is to make sure treatment is still doing what it was prescribed to do. If further investigation would help, blood tests, referral or follow-up can be arranged through the same practice.

Some medications need periodic blood pressure checks, blood tests or clinical review before they can be safely continued. Others carry interactions or side effects that should be reassessed if your health has changed, or if new medication has been added by another clinician. Your GP can also review medication started elsewhere – privately, abroad or on the NHS – and advise whether it remains appropriate in the context of your wider health.

Many prescription and medication review appointments work well by video, particularly where discussion is the main requirement – a video consultation is 30 minutes and £160, the same as in person. If examination, monitoring or testing is likely to be needed, an in-person appointment is usually more appropriate, and your GP will say so plainly.

If you need medication reviewed urgently, a same-day appointment is usually possible Monday to Friday, where capacity allows. If you are unsure which to book, call the practice and we will advise.

You can hold a private prescription from Basuto and keep your NHS GP – the two work alongside each other, and booking with us does not affect your NHS registration.

Where it makes sense for ongoing treatment to move to your NHS GP, we can provide a letter summarising the assessment and the medication started, so your NHS record stays complete.

A private prescription is dispensed at the pharmacy at the medicine’s private price rather than the NHS prescription charge, which is why we tell you clearly when a medicine is likely to be expensive and whether a suitable alternative exists.