New Medicine Service

Starting a new long-term medicine raises questions that a quick prescription rarely answers: what it does, how to take it, what to do if you miss one, what the side effects mean. The New Medicine Service is a free NHS follow-up with our pharmacist, designed to get you off to a good start and sort out any problems early.

Who it is for

Anyone prescribed a new medicine for a long-term condition, including:

• Asthma, COPD and other lung conditions.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Heart failure, coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation.
• Osteoporosis, gout and glaucoma.
• Medicines that thin the blood or affect clotting.

The full list of eligible conditions is set by the NHS; the pharmacist will confirm whether yours is covered.

How it works

We are an NHS distance selling pharmacy, so the service runs by phone. There are usually three conversations:

1. When the medicine is first dispensed — a short chat about what it is for and how to take it.
2. Around two weeks later — how it is going, any side effects, any practical difficulties.
3. Around a month in — a final check that everything has settled.

The pharmacist can adjust timings, suggest easier ways to take a medicine, or contact your GP if something needs changing.

What it gives you

• A clear understanding of the medicine and what it is doing.
• Problems and side effects caught and dealt with early.
• Somewhere to ask the questions you thought of after the appointment.
• Better results from the medicine — which usually means fewer GP and hospital visits.