Powys residents advised to plan ahead and order repeat prescriptions ahead of Christmas time
Make sure you plan ahead and order your repeat prescriptions in time. That’s the message from the Powys Teaching Health Board as we approach Christmas.
With many pharmacies closed for four days over Christmas, Chief Pharmacist Jacqui Seaton is advising people to check they have enough prescription medication to cover the festive period.
“It is important that people remember that there will effectively be a four-day weekend over Christmas and a three-day weekend over New Year.
“If you have repeat prescriptions, please check that you aren’t going to run out over the Christmas or New Year period. Allow seven days between ordering and collection. This length of time is required to allow your practice to approve your prescription and for your pharmacy or dispensary to get your medicines ready for collection.”
Planning ahead is always a smart self-care idea, and while we can predict cold weather and festive closures, there are many more things people can do to keep themselves fit and well prepared this winter.
Ms Seaton says: “Self-care is essential, and an important aspect of this for anyone on repeat prescription medications is make sure that you only ever order what you need and to return all unused medicines for safe disposal.”
Powys Teaching Health Board has launched a new initiative called Project Gwyrdd, which aims to reduce the impact of prescription medicines waste on the environment and health board budgets.
Project Gwyrdd’s top recommendations for healthy and less wasteful future include:
- Returning out-of-date medication and unused prescription medications to your dispensing GP or pharmacy for safe disposal. Such medication poses a real danger to your health and may also negatively affect any other medication you are taking.
- Never hoard or share your repeat prescription medications, which could cause harm if taken by anyone other than the person they are prescribed to. These medicines could also react to other drugs, causing serious illness or even death.
- Never dispose of unused medicines by burning them, putting them in your regular rubbish or recycling, or flushing them down the loo. They may give off noxious fumes in burned, will contaminate the soil and water, and may affect plant and animal life if buried in the soil or dissolved in water.
Ms Seaton continues: “Many pharmacies throughout Wales provide a Common Ailments Service which offers access to a free NHS consultation and free medication for 27 common ailments that cannot be managed by self-care alone. The service offers an alternative to accessing other NHS services such as making an appointment with the GP or an out-of-hours doctor. For more information about the common ailments service and other helpful advice visit www.pthb.nhs.wales/HelpUsHelpYou/.
“You can also check your symptoms online using the NHS 111 Wales website – it’s available to everyone and is really quick and convenient. It should be your first port of call if you feel under the weather but are not sure what’s wrong. It also has lots of advice for common illnesses.”
As the NHS faces yet another busy winter, the Health Board is keen to remind people to check their own non-prescription medications are in-date and that the home medicines cabinet is stocked up to treat minor health problems. For more advice on this visit www.111.wales.nhs.uk/livewell/MedicineCabinet/ and for advice on a giving your home first aid kit a winter makeover visit www.pthb.nhs.wales/HelpUsHelpYou/.
For any questions, please speak to your local pharmacist or visit www.pthb.nhs.wales/services/pharmacy-and-medicines-management/ where there is lots of information and advice available.
Released: 16/12/2022