title: 'Your lack of organisation doesn't constitute our emergency' - repeat prescription management in general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of quality and safety in repeat prescribing is well documented, but few studies have examined how practices manage urgent requests for repeat prescriptions and why patients require them urgently.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty practice staff (receptionists, practice managers, general practitioners, practice nurse) from 10 general practices participated in semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Requests for same-day appointments for patients needing repeat prescriptions emerged as problematic for most clinics in our study. Reasons included convenience, lost prescriptions and running out of medication. Clinics gave patients appointments, left prescriptions for collection at reception or ran prescription clinics. A need emerged for GPs to support individual clinic policy on repeat prescriptions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many urgent requests for repeat prescriptions are avoidable. Improvements are needed in the way repeat prescriptions are managed, pointing to a closer examination of general practice systems, the role of practice staff, pharmacists and patients.
authors.affiliation: PhD, BHSc(Hons), is a qualitative researcher, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne and Honorary Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garth
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Temple-Smith
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hutton
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deveny
authors.forename: Ruby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biezen
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirotta
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008496:Medical Receptionists; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013997:Time Factors