Can A Medical Prescription Change And Why Does It Happen?

Whether managing an injury, short-term illness or chronic health conditions, your local pharmacy knows that the people who come to us for prescription deliveries, dispensing or Pharmacy First consultations will not necessarily have static medical needs.

Even if you have a repeat prescription for a long-term medical condition, you will generally have a consultation every few months to ensure that the medication is working for you, to report any concerns or side effects and to ensure the dosage is correct and proportionate.

Whilst some prescriptions can stay the same for years at a time, it is more often the case that a prescription will change than it will not, and this can be initiated by the prescribing doctor, the patient or the pharmacist, depending on the situation.

Here are some of the reasons why prescriptions may change, grouped by the person likely to change them.

Why Might You Want Your Prescription Altered?

Typically, the main reasons why a patient would want their medication changed are that it is not working for them, it does not fit with their lifestyle due to an awkward dosing regimen, or the side effects are causing problems that make them not want to take the medication as prescribed.

There are often multiple options for medications for chronic conditions precisely because there is no one-size-fits-all solution for some people. If there are problems with the dose that risk nonadherence, talk to your doctor, and they will see if there is anything that can help, including prescribing another medication.

It is essential to tell your doctor about any issues you are having as soon as possible if you do not have a follow-up appointment soon.

Why Might Your Doctor Change Your Prescription?

A doctor will prescribe you medication because, according to their clinical judgement based on your symptoms, medical history and wider research into a particular condition, it is the best possible choice for your condition.

Whilst they can change it, they will only do so with your knowledge and consent, and will typically do so based either on your experiences that could highlight potential side effects, the results of tests that may be a cause of concern, or if you are on another medication that could cause an interaction.

Alternatively, if a new medication that is demonstrably more effective for helping your condition is approved, they might suggest switching to it on a trial basis if there is the potential for significant improvements.

Why Might A Pharmacist Change Your Prescription?

Pharmacists have a very limited scope to change a prescription if they are not a dispensing doctor, but there are instances where they can change your prescription without talking to the prescribing doctor first.

The most common of these is to switch a branded medication to its generic like-for-like version once it enters the market, or they might change the type of medication from a tablet to a capsule, or multiple small tablets for one large one, if that makes it easier to take.

In exceptionally rare cases, a pharmacist can change one medication to a different drug in the same class and that has the same effect, but they will seldom do this without consulting your doctor first.