Prescription Policy

12 Month Prescription Renewals

From February 2026, GPs will be able to prescribe some medicines for up to 12 months, instead of the current maximum of three months. This national change aims to make it easier for people to access their long-term medications providing their health condition is stable.

You may be eligible if:

Your condition or medication (delete does) has been stable for at least 6 months

You don’t need regular monitoring (for example blood tests or blood pressure checks)

The medicine you take has been approved for 12-month prescribing

You agree to a yearly, in-person review to check the medication is still suitable.

What is not changing:

You will still need to collect medicines in 3 monthly instalments from the same pharmacy your script was sent to, but will only need to pay the co-payment fee on the first collection.

You will not be able to collect 12 months’ worth of medication at once.

The decision to extend your prescription length or not, rests with your GP. To find out if you can change your prescription renewal length, please book a consultation with your GP from February when the changes take effect.

Decisions to extend renewal time to 12 months are made on a case-by-case basis and GPs will consider your individual health factors when making a decision. You will need a consultation with your GP before a 12-month prescription will be issued.