Prescription periods tripled in Jersey to ease pressure on GPs services

It is hoped the move to longer prescriptions in Jersey will relieve pressure on GP practices. Credit: ITV Channel

Doctors in Jersey can now prescribe medicine for longer.

A change in the law now allows GPs to give out a single prescription for 90 days rather than 30 and it can also be repeated up to three times.

It is hoped the move will relieve pressure on practices, be more convenient and reduce costs.

"This is good news for patients with long-term conditions and will give their GP freedom to prescribe to suit the needs of patients," said Jersey's Social Security Minister, Elaine Millar.

The announcement is part of the government's £12 million investment to support community pharmacies.

"We expect the transition from a 30-day period to longer 60 or 90-day periods of supply to happen over the coming months," Adrian Noon from the Primary Care Governance Team explained.

"Some medicines will still need to be issued over 30 days, particularly in the case of a new medicine which the patient may not tolerate or if the patient has a condition that needs frequent monitoring."

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