A prescription is a legal document for which the prescriber, who has issued and signed it, is responsible.
Prescribers can only provide a private prescription for their NHS patients in circumstances where the medication is not prescribable on the NHS.
A private prescription is not paid for by the NHS, the cost is met wholly by the patient and, is dictated by the cost of the medicine plus an additional charge by the pharmacy supplying it.
A doctor you see privately can’t issue an NHS prescription. If a patient wishes to be referred privately, outside of the normal Commissioning arrangements then the patient should be aware that all costs resulting from private consultations are payable by the patient. This includes prescribing costs.
Please do not ask GPs to transfer medications issued on private prescriptions to NHS prescriptions.
If a long-term condition following a private consultation is discovered, your GP may be willing to prescribe for your condition, but they may wish to substitute the prescribed medication with a therapy they are more familiar with or in accordance with local prescribing policies to enable safer management of your condition.
