Repeat prescriptions are available for long-term medications when your condition is stable, and no medication alterations are needed. The decision to approve or decline a medication lies with the prescriber.
Ordering repeat prescriptions
Repeat prescriptions can be ordered online through your patient portal. Most of our medical centres use The Doctors App. Simply select your prescribed medication, choose a pharmacy, pay and submit your request. Track the status and receive notifications when it’s approved or declined. If you are unsure which patient portal your medical centre uses, check their website to confirm. If unsure about your repeat prescription, or if there are any issues, contact your medical centre and select the appropriate person to speak to (usually a nurse).
Do I need to order a repeat prescription from the same pharmacy?
No, you can select your preferred pharmacy when ordering a repeat prescription on your patient portal (The Doctors App, Manage My Health, or similar). We recommend having a preferred pharmacy, as they’ll have access to your history of prescriptions.
On some medications that are dispensed a repeat prescription may be on the medicine label (it will say ‘repeat’ or ‘repeats available’. This means that you can get more of the same medicine from the same pharmacy up to the date specified on the label, without having to present another prescription.g
The frequency of the medicine dispensary is set by The Pharmaceutical Management Agency, Pharmac. Some dispensing frequencies are 1 month (30 days) at a time, or longer depending on the type of medicine.
In some instances, you are eligible to receive more than 1 month’s medicine supply. Eligibility circumstances include if you have limited physical mobility, live and work further than 30 minutes from a pharmacy, will be travelling extensively or if you are relocating to another area.
How much does a prescription cost?
If you are ordering a repeat prescription from your medical centre, there will be a processing fee which includes the time taken for your prescriber to review if the medication is needed and if it remains appropriate, If blood tests are needed etc. Fees vary by practice. Check your medical centre’s webpage or contact them to confirm if you are unsure.
As of 1 July 2024, the government reintroduced pharmacy prescription co-payments of $5 for every medicine on new prescriptions. Exemptions for prescription dispensing charges are: aged 13 years and under, over 65 years, holders of a Community Services Card (CSC), or a dependent child of a CSC holder, and holders of a Prescription Subsidy Card (PSC)
Specialist and non-publicly funded prescriptions are charged at a higher rate. More information can be found on the Te Whatu Ora Prescription Charges website.
Why hasn’t my repeat prescription been processed yet?
Common reasons your preferred pharmacy hasn’t received or processed your repeat prescription:
- The repeat request hasn’t been sent via your patient portal. Check that you have sent it correctly
- Delay in processing scripts. Pharmacists follow due diligence, and when busy or short-staffed, it may take longer than normal to process your script
- Medication stock shortages. Your pharmacy will notify you if this is the case
- If it has been deemed inappropriate to prescribe your script without review or if it has been some time your last GP medical review, your repeat prescription request has likely been declined. See the below section for further details
If in doubt, ring your pharmacy to confirm that your prescription has been received. If the issue lies with your medical centre, contact them to resolve this.
Review with your GP for repeat prescriptions
Most medications need three monthly review with your GP for repeat prescriptions.
Your repeat prescription request will likely get declined pending a review if the medication is not deemed suitable by the prescriber or if it has been some time since your last review with your GP. If you are on chronic medication that you get repeat prescriptions for, this needs to be reviewed at least annually (in some cases more frequently).
For safety reasons, we recommend seeing your regular GP or practice for a review of the condition being treated, as they will have a thorough understanding of your medical history.
We recommend booking a GP review appointment in advance of your review date. This ensures that there are no delays with your regular medication, especially during busy seasons for medical centres, such as mid-winter and before/after the Christmas holidays.
How to access our services
Book an Appointment
Appointments can be booked online or by contacting your chosen medical centre.
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