Date: 31 January 2026
Dear Patient,
From 1 February 2026, changes to prescribing rules mean that some patients may be eligible to receive prescriptions for up to 12 months.
It is important to understand that not all patients will be eligible. Every doctor and every practice will apply these changes differently. A 12-month prescription will only be issued when your doctor believes it is safe and clinically appropriate.
This letter is to inform you about how we manage long-term medication reviews at our practice.
Important things to know:
• Only a limited number of medications are approved for 12 months prescribing.
• If you take more than one medication, some may be eligible for 12 months while others may not. In this case all medications will continue to be prescribed together
• The more medications you take, the more monitoring is usually required, which may make you ineligible for 12-month prescribing.
• An in-person review is required before any change can be made.
• Until this review occurs, your prescriptions will continue 3-monthly prescribing.
• Pharmacies can still only dispense up to 3-months of medication at a time, even if longer prescription is issued.
• You must agree to attend a yearly in-person review, complete required blood tests every 6-12 months, as advised by your GP.
• If these requirements are not met, 12- month prescribing will stop, and your prescriptions will return to 3 monthly intervals.
Book an appointment to check your eligibility.
When you book an appointment specifically for a long-term medication review, this consultation is for medication review only. Other medical problems will need to be discussed in a separate appointment.
Please also be aware that:
• You may not automatically receive 12 months of prescriptions during your medication review.
• The clinician may need additional consultations, monitoring, or investigations (such as blood tests or blood pressure checks) before longer-term prescriptions can be safely issued.
• The GP or clinician will decide the appropriate length of your prescriptions, which may be shorter than 12 months (for example, 3- 6 months may remain the most appropriate), depending on your individual clinical needs.
These steps help ensure your medications remain safe, effective, and appropriate for you.
If you have concerns or feel you may need more time, please let our reception team know when booking so the most suitable appointment can be arranged.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Harley Street Medical Clinical Team