How do you renew a prescription for regular medication?
Your pack is running out and your next check-up is still a long way off. It is one of the most common situations in which patients look for help online. A further prescription can be issued not only by a doctor, but also by a nurse or midwife.
What continuation of treatment means
Continuation of treatment means issuing a further prescription for a medicine you already take on a doctor's instructions. This is allowed under Article 15b of the Polish Act on the Professions of Nurse and Midwife. The nurse doesn't change the medicine or the dose – they renew what the doctor has decided.
What to prepare
- The name of the medicine and the dose – copy them from the packaging or from a previous prescription.
- Confirmation of the doctor's prescription – the easiest place to find it is the prescription history in your Internet Patient Account (IKP).
- Information about your health – other medicines you take, long-term conditions, the date of your last check-up and the results of any tests you were advised to have.
On this basis, the nurse will assess whether a further prescription can safely be issued.
Which medicines this doesn't apply to
The law excludes narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances (including sleeping pills and sedatives in this group) and medicines containing very potent substances from continuation of treatment by a nurse. In these cases, only a doctor can issue a prescription.
When you should still see a doctor
- when you feel worse or have developed new symptoms,
- when you suspect side effects from the medicine,
- when you want to change the medicine or the dose,
- when it has been a long time since your last check-up or the tests you were advised to have,
- when you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Renewing a prescription keeps your treatment going without a break, but it doesn't replace the care of the doctor in charge of your treatment.
Ready? See how a repeat prescription and contraception renewal work at Receptosia.
The content on this page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice.
