Online prescription services
Getting prescriptions without going to the doctor's surgery is one of the reasons our patients choose to use the Livi service.
How to get a prescription online
Download the Livi app
Sign up and select your existing GP practice for our free NHS service. If you’re not yet eligible you can choose to use our pay-as-you-go service instead.
Book an appointment
See a GP at a time you choose, up to 3 days ahead. The GP will call you in the app to start your video appointment and assess whether you need a prescription.
Get your prescription
If the GP decides you need a prescription, you'll receive a confirmation in your Livi inbox, and you can pick up the prescription from your chosen pharmacy.
Same-day prescriptions
See a GP by video the same day with Livi. If the doctor decides you need one, they can give you an acute online prescription sent straight to your inbox, ready to pick up from your local pharmacy.
Appointments available 7 days a week
When you’re not feeling well, your health shouldn’t wait. Livi allows you to see a GP by video on evenings and weekends, so you can get an online prescription at the time you need it.
"I needed an urgent prescription that was sent through to my local pharmacist, to pick up the same day - so that was very handy"
Livi patient, Hull
"They were actually able to send a prescription to the pharmacy, my local pharmacy on my high street, just like that. It felt like magic!"
Livi patient, Surrey
NHS prescriptions
If you live in an area that’s eligible for the Livi NHS service, the standard NHS charge of £9.35 per item will apply. Some patients are exempt from this charge so are entitled to free prescriptions.
Private prescriptions
If you’re using the Livi pay-as-you-go service, the price of your prescription will vary. You'll be charged the cost of the medication and a private dispensing fee, instead of the set NHS prescription charge.
Need a GP appointment?
If you need treatment for a health concern, A Livi doctor can help.
FAQs
FAQs
Like you would with any other GP appointment, the GP will discuss and assess your condition, and then decide on the best treatment for you. If they think you need medication, the Livi GP will issue you with an online prescription.
If you live in an eligible area, the GP can write you an NHS prescription. But if not, you can pay £45 to use Livi’s pay-as-you-service instead, and the GP will write you a private prescription online. Read more information on the general prescribing guidelines for the NHS.
In England, there’s a set charge of £9.35 per item for an NHS prescription. Some patients are exempt from this charge and so are entitled to free prescriptions. You can find out if you’re entitled to free prescriptions on the NHS website. If you live in an area that’s eligible for the Livi NHS service, the same standard charge will apply.
If you’re using the Livi pay-as-you-go service instead, the cost for your online prescription will vary depending on the medication. You will be charged the cost of the medication and a private dispensing fee, rather than the set NHS prescription charge. Any exemptions usually given for an NHS prescription will not apply for a Livi pay-as-you-go appointment.
You can collect your online prescription from a pharmacy most convenient to you. You’ll be able to tell the GP which pharmacy you prefer during your consultation. Livi does not currently offer a prescription delivery service for patients.
Generally, Livi GPs will not issue routine repeat prescriptions as part of our online prescription services. But in an emergency, our GPs may be able to issue an urgent supply of medication for a maximum of 7 days. The GP will decide whether this is an appropriate request during the consultation with the patient.
If you’re using Livi’s pay-as-you-go service, the GP will need access to your Summary Care Record to issue a GP prescription online, for any NHS repeat medication. Some NHS patients will not have a Summary Care Record and this is outside of Livi’s control. In this instance, the Livi GP will make a decision based on the individual request.
If a private online prescription is issued based on the NHS Summary Care Record, the patient must give permission for Livi to send a discharge summary of the consultation and online prescription to their registered NHS GP.
Patients who are not currently registered to a GP – (perhaps they’re not permanent residents in the UK) – may be able to get up to one month's supply of their usual medication if the GP feels that this is appropriate. Prescription ordering is always done on a case-by-case basis.
If you’re using the Livi pay-as-you-go service, you will be given a private online prescription. Instead of being charged a fixed cost like you would with an NHS prescription, you’ll be charged depending on the cost of the item. Some medications will cost slightly more than others.
GPs at Livi do not currently issue online prescriptions for medication under stricter controls, like controlled drugs. These include narcotic medications (benzodiazepines, sleeping tablets, pregabalin, gabapentin and strong opioids like morphine and tramadol).
There are also some medications that can be prescribed under our pay-as-you-go service, but not through Livi’s NHS service. This is because they’re not permitted under NHS restrictions for prescription ordering (e.g. treatments for male pattern baldness).
Livi GPs can still discuss all the available treatments and medication, even if they’re not able to issue the necessary online prescription. If this is the case, they can advise you on your options.