Order Your NHS Repeat Prescriptions Online With NowPatient
NowPatient makes it easy to order your NHS repeat prescriptions online and have your medication delivered straight to your door. View your available prescriptions, place your order in minutes, and track delivery – all from one account.
This service is available to NHS patients registered with a GP in England. There is no extra cost to the NHS.
Smooth, simple, seamless
Your Guide to Using the NHS Online Pharmacy App Feature
- Step 1.
Open NHS Online Pharmacy Service Card, select ‘Order Prescription’
1 - Step 2.
Select medications, tap ‘Continue to Cart’
2 - Step 3.
Enter exemptions, add GP notes, tap ‘Checkout’
3 - Step 4.
Review details, then tap ‘Submit Payment’
4 - Step 5.
Check order status in ‘Orders History’
5
Service Guide
How NHS Online Pharmacy Works
Who Can Use This Service?
You can use NowPatient’s NHS online pharmacy if you:
- Are registered with a GP surgery in England
- Have active NHS repeat prescriptions
- Are willing to nominate NowPatient as your pharmacy (you can switch back at any time)
Important: This service is commissioned by NHS England and is only available to patients in England. If you live in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you will not be able to use this feature.
When Will My Prescriptions Become Available for Ordering After I have Created My Account?
If you created an account using your email address, then we will need to link it to your NHS record. This process can take up to 4 hours. Once linked, you can view and order your repeat prescriptions. If your prescriptions do not appear after 4 hours, please contact our customer care team.
If you used NHS login to create your account, then your repeat prescriptions will be viewable within 10 minutes of signing up with NHS login.
You can learn more about how to create an account using our helpdesk.
NHS Login: Common Questions
Why Is the NHS Asking Me for More Information?
This is a standard security measure. The NHS may need additional information to verify your identity before granting NowPatient access to your records.
Can I Use an Unverified NHS Login Account?
No. You need a fully verified NHS login account to use it with NowPatient.
How Do I Update My Personal Details?
If you use NHS login, NowPatient syncs your details from your NHS account. To update your personal information, make changes through NHS login directly or ask your GP to update your records.
How Do I Setup NHS Login?
If you have not yet set up an account with NHS Login, you can do so using the NHS website.
Pharmacy Nomination
When you create a NowPatient account, you nominate NowPatient (Infohealth Pharmacy) to receive and dispense your electronic prescriptions. This is part of the terms of use for the service.
In England, you can only nominate one pharmacy at a time for electronic prescriptions. However, you can switch your nominated pharmacy at any time with no obligation to inform your previous pharmacy. You are always in full control.
What happens if NowPatient is de-nominated?
If we receive notification that you have de-nominated NowPatient, your account will be automatically suspended. If this was unintentional, you can reactivate easily:
- Log in to your NowPatient account — you will see a screen asking if you would like to re-nominate.
- Confirm the re-nomination to reactivate your account.
- If your account has not reactivated within 4 hours, contact our customer care team.
Alternatively, you can call or email us to reactivate. If you choose to move to a different pharmacy permanently, your account will be deleted. All your data will be removed except for information we are legally required to retain under our data retention policy.
How to Order Your NHS Repeat Prescriptions
Follow these steps to place an order from your NowPatient account:
- Navigate to the NHS Online Pharmacy Service Card. After logging in, go to the NHS Hub on your account homepage. Select ‘Order Prescription’ from the Options Menu on the NHS Online Pharmacy Service Card.
- Choose your medications. On the ‘Available Prescriptions’ screen, you will see all your current NHS repeat prescriptions. Select ‘Add to Cart’ for each medication you want to order. Choose ‘Continue Shopping’ to add more, or ‘Continue to Cart’ when you’re done.
- Confirm your exemption status. On the Cart page, a prompt will ask whether you are exempt from paying for each NHS prescription. Select ‘Yes’ if exempt or ‘No’ if paying. If at least one item is exempt, you will be asked to choose your exemption type and confirm a disclosure consent.
- Leave a note for your GP (optional). If your GP surgery allows note submissions, you can leave a message — for example, to request extra supply for a holiday.
- Checkout. Select ‘Checkout’ from the Cart. On the ‘Review Details’ screen, choose your delivery address and delivery method, then ‘Save and Continue’.
- Enter payment details. On the ‘Payment Details’ screen, add any promo codes and confirm your billing address. Then ‘Save and Continue’ to the ‘Order Review’ screen.
- Submit your order. Select ‘Submit Payment’ to complete your order on our secure banking page. NowPatient never handles your payment details. Payments are processed securely by Lloyds Bank PLC.
- Wait for GP approval. For NHS prescriptions, your order is sent electronically to your GP for approval. This can take up to 72 hours. Once approved, we dispense and prepare your medication for delivery.
Order Notifications
You will receive status updates by email and in-app notifications at every stage of your order.
Delivery
Where Do You Deliver?
We deliver to all postcodes in England. Some rural areas may experience slightly longer delivery times.
First order restriction: For your safety, your first NHS prescription order will always be delivered to the address registered with the NHS. After your first order, you can choose any delivery address, including your workplace.
How Is My Order Packaged?
All orders are shipped in discreet, unmarked packaging. Please make sure you are available at your chosen delivery address to accept the order, including on weekends and bank holidays.
For temperature-sensitive items (such as insulin or weight loss injections), we use cold chain-validated packaging to maintain product quality, safety, and efficacy. You will normally receive an estimated delivery window from the courier on the day of delivery.
For controlled drug deliveries, we use a specialist courier service to ensure safe custody is maintained at all times.
Delivery Options and Timescales
We aim to dispatch all orders placed Monday–Friday before 3pm on the same day. Orders placed after 3pm or on weekends are dispatched the next working day. All deliveries are shipped with Royal Mail, DPD, or DHL (Monday–Saturday).
- Royal Mail Standard Tracked & Signed (NHS prescriptions): 2–3 day delivery (normally 48 hours)
- DHL Express Tracked: 1–2 day delivery (normally 24 hours)
- Royal Mail Special Delivery: Next working day (guaranteed before 1pm)
Choosing a Delivery Address
During checkout, you can choose any address saved in your account. Your registered address is selected by default. To add a new address, click ‘Add New Shipping Address’ on the shipment screen — it will be saved for future orders.
What If My Order Has Not Arrived?
You can track your order at any time in the ‘Orders History’ section of your account. If your delivery has not arrived within 10 days of the dispatch notification, please contact us and we will work to resolve the issue.
Not All My Items Were Delivered
If items are missing from your order, it is likely your GP did not approve them. Common reasons include:
- You placed the order too early (before your repeat was due)
- Your GP wants to review your medication with you directly
- Your treatment course has expired and is no longer repeatable
In any of these cases, contact your GP surgery directly.
NHS Prescription Charges and Exemptions
Using NowPatient does not cost the NHS any more money than using a high-street pharmacy. Every pharmacy in England is paid a set dispensing fee per item.
The current NHS prescription charge in England is £9.90 per item. You may be exempt from paying if you meet certain criteria at the time your prescription is dispensed. You can check your eligibility using the NHS eligibility checker.
Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs)
A PPC works like a season ticket — it lets you get as many NHS prescriptions as you need for a fixed price. PPCs are available for 3 or 12 months:
- £32.25 for 3 months
- £114.50 for 12 months
You can buy a PPC online from the NHS.
New Prescriptions from Your Doctor
If your doctor prescribes a new medication after a visit, we will create a manual order or add it to an existing order. Your order details will be updated to show the new medication, and you will receive an in-app notification, viewable in the ‘Notifications’ section of your homepage.
Medication and Dispensing
Can I Request a Specific Brand?
We only use medication sourced, produced, and packaged in the UK. We supply the brand recorded on your prescription. If you need a specific brand, you can contact us at support@nowpatient.com or ask your doctor to add the brand name to your prescription.
If you have consistently received the same brand, we can see this on your patient record and will continue to provide it.
Medication Advice and Counselling
NowPatient’s pharmacists provide medication advice and counselling across all dispensing services. If you have any questions about your prescribed medication, our pharmacists are available to help.
How to Report Side Effects
You can report suspected side effects in two ways:
- Yellow Card Scheme: Go to ‘Report Side Effects’ in your profile settings. This links to the Yellow Card Scheme, run by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), where you can self-submit a report.
- Report Side Effects: Use the ‘Report Side Effects’ Service Card on your homepage and select ‘Report Side Effect’. An assistance tool will guide you through the process. You can also view previously reported side effects from the same card.
Using NowPatient Without an Account
If you prefer not to create an account, ask your GP to send your prescription via EPS (Electronic Prescription Service) to Infohealth Pharmacy (provider code: FM824). We will process and dispatch your items with no delivery charge.
Paper Prescriptions
If your GP issues a paper prescription, ask them to recreate it as an electronic prescription (EPS) and send it to provider code FM824. Alternatively, the surgery can post the paper prescription to:
NowPatient c/o Infohealth Pharmacy
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Surrey
CR5 2RA
Other Important Information
Can I Order Prescriptions for My Family?
No. NowPatient accounts are unique to each individual. Each family member needs their own account.
Do I Need to Tell My GP?
No. After you create your account, NowPatient automatically links to your GP, allowing you to view and order your available repeat prescriptions.
What Is the NHS Online Pharmacy Service Card?
NowPatient uses Service Cards on your account homepage to give you access to different services. Each Service Card has an Options Menu for navigating that service. The NHS Online Pharmacy Service Card is where you manage your repeat prescriptions.
Returns, Refunds, and Medication Disposal
Can I Return My Medication?
For health, hygiene, and safety reasons, we are unable to exchange or refund certain products, including:
- Perishable items (food, confectionery, baby milk)
- Dispensed or purchased medicinal products or services
- Personalised items or cosmetics
- Unsealed products or items worn next to the skin or hair
This list is not exhaustive and does not affect your statutory rights.
How to Dispose of Unwanted Medication
You can return unwanted medicines to any NHS pharmacy for safe disposal. Alternatively, you can return them to us by post. Contact us to receive a return form with pre-paid postage. If you choose not to use our form, we cannot cover postage costs.
Return address:
NowPatient c/o Infohealth Pharmacy
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Surrey
CR5 2RA
Always keep your proof of posting (available free from the Post Office). You are responsible for returned products until they reach us.