Private prescriptions from a GP in Palmers Green

How private prescriptions work

Prescribing is a clinical decision, so every prescription follows a consultation, however brief. The doctor confirms the medicine is right for you, checks it against anything else you take, and sends the prescription to the pharmacy electronically so it is ready when you arrive.

The medicine itself is charged by the pharmacy at its private price rather than the NHS prescription charge. For most short courses this is modest; for some long-term or branded medicines it can be higher than the NHS charge, and the doctor will tell you if an NHS route would be cheaper.

How do I get a private prescription today?

Book a consultation, not a prescription. The quickest route is usually a video consultation, which is often available the same day during clinic hours; a same-day clinic appointment or a home visit works just as well, and is the right choice if the doctor may need to examine you. Choose a time online in about a minute, or call the practice; our how it works page shows the booking steps.

During the consultation the GP asks about your symptoms, your medical history and anything else you take, and decides whether a medicine is right for you. If it is, the prescription is sent electronically to the pharmacy you name, so it is ready when you arrive — no paper to carry, nothing to post. Some medicines cannot be prescribed without an in-person examination, and the doctor will say so if that applies to you.

Two things are paid: the prescription fee shown on this page, to the practice, and the medicine, to the pharmacy at its private price. The fee for the consultation itself depends on the type and length you choose and is shown on our pricing page.

• Book a video consultation (often the same day) or a clinic appointment
• The GP assesses you and decides whether a medicine is appropriate
• The prescription goes electronically to the pharmacy you choose
• You pay the prescription fee shown on this page, plus the pharmacy's price for the medicine

Fit notes (sick notes)

A fit note — the form many people still call a sick note — is a doctor's statement about whether you are fit for work, and any changes that might help you stay at or return to work. For the first seven days of an illness you can self-certify to your employer; after that, most employers ask for a fit note.

Our GPs can issue a fit note after a consultation in clinic, by video or at home if they consider you unfit for work, or fit for work with adjustments. It is emailed to you the same day. Because a fit note is a clinical judgement, the doctor needs to assess you first, and a video consultation is usually the quickest way to arrange that. When it is written as part of your appointment there is no separate charge for the note; simple medical letters are included in the same way, and anything longer is quoted before it is done.

Repeat prescriptions

If you take a regular medicine and need a supply before you can see your usual doctor, we can prescribe a limited quantity after a consultation, provided the doctor is satisfied the medicine is appropriate and safe to continue. We may ask to see recent test results or a letter from the clinician who started it.

What we do not prescribe

Some medicines are never prescribed privately by a GP without a specialist, and some are not prescribed at all outside a hospital. Controlled drugs, medicines that need regular monitoring we cannot provide, and anything requested without a clinical reason are declined. This protects you; it is not a judgement.

How much does a private prescription cost?

The practice's prescription fee is shown on this page and on our pricing page, and it is the same whether the prescription follows a clinic appointment, a video consultation or a home visit. On top of that, the pharmacy charges its own private price for the medicine, which is set by the pharmacy rather than by us. For most short courses that price is modest; for some long-term or branded medicines it can be more than the NHS prescription charge, and the doctor will tell you if an NHS route would be cheaper.

Fees are paid at the practice, by card or cash; there is no online payment and no membership. If you would like to know the medicine's price in advance, ask the pharmacy before it is dispensed. If you are claiming on private health insurance, we give you an itemised invoice; policies vary on prescriptions, so check your cover first. Our FAQs explain fees and payment in more detail.

Working with your NHS GP

With your consent we tell your NHS practice what has been prescribed so your record stays complete and interactions can be checked in future. If a medicine is likely to be needed long-term, the doctor will usually suggest your NHS GP takes over prescribing.

What happens after the consultation?

The prescription is sent electronically to the pharmacy you named, usually straight after the appointment. Give the pharmacy a little time to receive and prepare it, then collect the medicine and pay them for it. If the pharmacy cannot supply it, contact the practice and we will help.

With your consent we send a short summary to your NHS GP, including what has been prescribed, so your NHS record stays complete and future interactions can be checked. If the medicine is likely to be needed long-term, the doctor will usually suggest that your NHS GP takes over prescribing. Take the medicine as the doctor and the pharmacy label explain; if you have side effects, or you are not improving when you expected to, book a follow-up — by video is often easiest — and ask for the same doctor if you prefer.

Where is the clinic?

Our clinic is at the rear of Grovelands Medical Centre, 1 Grovelands Rd, Palmers Green, London N13 4RJ — a short walk from Palmers Green station on the Great Northern line, with buses 121, 329 and W6 stopping nearby on Green Lanes. We are open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00. Prescriptions can also follow a video consultation from anywhere in the UK or a home visit across North London. Our Palmers Green page has more about getting to us, and our contact page has a map and opening hours.

What it costs

Questions patients ask