Service for New Medicines | Services

New Medicine Check

Between 30% and 50% of prescribed medicines are not taken as recommended. This means that a lot of medicines are wasted or are not as effective as they could be.

Our New Medicines Service is for people who have received their first prescription for a medicine to treat one of a range of conditions which have been chosen by the NHS.

A female pharmacist talking with a female patient in a private consultation room

The service will:

help you to find out more about the new medicine you are taking
help to sort out any problems you are having with your new medicine
give you a chance to ask questions about your medicine and discuss any concerns
help to improve the effectiveness of your new medicine, for example, there may be an easier or better way to take it
help you to make your own decisions about managing your condition
help you to improve your health, which could lead to fewer GP and hospital visits.

The New Medicine Service will help provide better value for you and the NHS by making sure that your medicines are right for you.

How does the service work?

Booking your first appointment

We receive your prescription from the GP surgery, which is clinically checked by our pharmacists. If it’s a new medicine to treat one of the NHS approved conditions, we’ll ask you to schedule an appointment with our pharmacist, at a date and time that suits you. This would take place within 7-14 days.

Your consultation with our pharmacist

Our pharmacist will ask you questions about how you’re getting on with your new medicine, find out if you’re having any problems and give you any information and support you need. You may have concerns or questions that you want to ask. You can ask anything at all about your new medicine.

Your follow-up appointment

We’ll ask you to book a follow-up appointment with our pharmacist, at a date and time that suits you. This would take place within 14-21 days of step 2 being completed. You’ll be able to talk about how things are going with your medicine and ask for more advice if you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after the two discussions?

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Everything may be okay with your new medicine and nothing else will need to happen.
If you have had problems with the medicine, you may agree with our pharmacist to change the way you take it.
Our pharmacist may recommend that your doctor review your new medicine. If this is needed, we will send a note to your doctor explaining the issues raised.
If appropriate, our pharmacist might offer you advice on healthy living and public health topics, in line with the promotion of healthy lifestyles essential service.

How can I prepare for my discussion with the pharmacist?

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Read the leaflet that comes with your new medicine.
Make a note of questions you want to ask about your new medicine.
Make a note of any concerns about your new medicine that you may want to discuss with the pharmacist.
Have your new medicine with you during the appointment.

Will information about me be shared with others?

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You will be asked to give your consent for the pharmacist to share information from your New Medicine Service discussions with:

Your GP, if necessary (for example if they need to change your medicine because you are having a problem with it)
NHS England, to make sure the service is being provided properly by our pharmacist
NHS England and the NHS Business Services Authority, to make sure our pharmacy is being paid the correct amount by the NHS for the service we have provided to you.

If you don’t give your consent, you will not be able to use the service.

You can view the Rowlands Pharmacy terms and conditions and privacy policy, which outlines how we handle your data.