About medicines reviews
What happens in a pharmacist medicines review
What pharmacists check, when a medicines review may be useful, and how our online service prepares your letter for a registered pharmacist to check and sign.
What is a pharmacist?
A pharmacist is a university-trained healthcare professional who specialises in medicines. Training typically takes around five years. To practise in Great Britain, pharmacists must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the statutory regulator. You can check a pharmacist's registration on the public GPhC register.
Pharmacists advise on how medicines work, how they interact, their doses and monitoring, and how to balance their benefits and risks. A medicines review considers these questions using the information you provide.
Independent review. We don't sell or prescribe medicines. Every released review is checked and signed by a named, GPhC-registered pharmacist.
Why review your medicines?
Reviewing your medicines together
Repeat prescriptions can build up over years, often from different clinics. A review considers the whole list, including medicines bought from a pharmacy and supplements.
Medicines can interact
Some combinations raise the risk of side effects, bleeding or kidney strain. Over-the-counter and herbal products can also interact, so include them in your list.
Side effects can be mistaken for new problems
A symptom caused by one medicine can end up treated with another. A review can help identify possible side effects to discuss with your prescriber.
Doses and monitoring change over time
As you get older, or if your kidney function or test results change, your dose may need review. Some medicines also need regular blood tests.
Some medicines may no longer be needed
A medicine started for a short-term reason can remain on a repeat prescription for years. A review considers whether it is still needed.
Questions for your GP
You receive a written summary and specific questions to discuss at your next appointment.
How your review works
Automated checks help the pharmacist review the information you provide. The pharmacist checks the findings and decides what to include in your letter. No review can guarantee that every possible problem will be found.
Questions about your medicines
The questionnaire changes according to the medicines you enter and the level of review you choose.
One list of everything you take
We consider prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements together, including how they may affect one another.
Automated safety checks on every submission
Before the pharmacist reviews your submission, automated checks flag possible interactions, monitoring needs and the combined burden of medicines that can affect alertness or memory.
Urgent-symptom triage
If your answers flag a symptom that could need urgent attention, we stop the review, direct you to appropriate care straight away and take no payment. Do not wait for a medicines review if you need urgent help.
A registered pharmacist checks and signs it
A GPhC-registered pharmacist checks every finding and decides what belongs in your report. Their name and registration number appear on it.
A letter to discuss with your GP
You receive plain-English advice with questions to ask your prescriber, monitoring to confirm and any changes to discuss with them.
Request a Medicines Health Check
A registered pharmacist will review the medicines and information you provide, then write you a signed letter to keep and share with your GP.