This follows Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board’s decision to abolish its POD prescription ordering service, which allowed members of the public to place orders by email or telephone. .
The medical institution is currently in the process of discontinuing this service, which will be phased out over several months.
It also provides advice on what to do next for patients who may be relying on the service for lifeline medicines.
When will POD prescription services end?
Starting Thursday, February 29, POD will no longer accept prescription requests made via email or online form on the ICB website.
Emails and forms sent after this date will no longer be accepted and patients are advised to order their medicines through their GP or through the NHS app.
POD remains available by phone on 0333 332 0050.
However, starting Friday, March 1, they will only be open between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
In its current form, POD is scheduled to be phased out by June 30, 2024, and repeat prescription services will instead be provided by clinics and nursing homes using the system.
Other ways to order repeat prescriptions
Once POD ends, there are several options available to people.
The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is to use the NHS app. This app can be downloaded for free on all smartphones and tablets. Information on how to use the app is available online.
Patients can also arrange repeat prescriptions through the clinic by phone or through the clinic’s website. Some patients may be required to register before accessing online ordering. For more information, patients should speak directly to the clinic.
However, at this time, we recommend that people who regularly use POD continue to order their medications through POD in the normal way and do not order more than necessary.
The decision to abolish the service has been criticized by some local residents.
Pensioner Dave Taplis, who has lived in Swindon with his wife for 70 years and uses POD services, said the move left him feeling “left on the scrapheap”.
“It’s really upsetting because it’s not just me, a lot of people depend on it,” Dave said.
