Residents of Colchester are the first in the UK to have access to a new & unique 24-hour prescription collection robot that has just been installed outside Abbey Field Medical Center. The machine enables you to collect your repeat prescription medicines 24/7, 365 days of the year!

We have invested in making our patients lives easier during these challenging times with the automated collection point which has been designed and built in Britain.  The MedPoint machine enables patients to maintain safe physical distance, avoid queues and reduced pharmacy opening hours which are currently a fact of life for many. We hope this will support those trying to self isolate and key-workers that may not be able to get to a pharmacy during normal opening hours due to shift patterns. 

We can get your electronic prescriptions from almost ANY surgery in England. Local delivery is also available for patients in the high risk group that need to shield themselves from Covid19.

Our friendly team led by our experienced Pharmacist Claire are here to help.

The service is now live after successful installation and testing. You can register to use the Automated collection service by completing the form below, speaking to one of the team on your next visit or call us on 01206 562848

It couldn’t be simpler!

1.  Order your prescriptions from your surgery in the usual way (we recommend the surgeries online services https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/  or https://www.patientaccess.com/  depending on which GP practice you use)
2. Ask your GP to send the prescriptions electronically to Abbey Field Pharmacy
3. When your medicines are ready to collect you will receive a text with a unique 8 digit collection pin
4. Simply type the pin number into the machine, follow the on-screen instructions and the machine will fetch your prescription within seconds!

Register to use the Automated collection service by completing the form below, speaking to one of the team on your next visit or call us on 01206 562848

If I use the collection point, can I still use the pharmacy during opening hours?

Yes. Please be assured we will still welcome your visits to the shop during opening hours, especially if you need some advice or other services. By reducing our queues our team will have more time to speak to those that need face to face care.

Are there any items that can’t be collected from the collection point?

There are some items the collection point cannot be used for clinical or regulatory reasons, these include:

Controlled drugs like morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone etc
Very large bulky items

Is there a charge for this service?

No. We have invested to ensure this is a free service available to all our patients. We hope that it will help grow our business so feel free to recommend us to friends & family!

Is it safe & secure?

Absolutely! We have spent over 18 months developing this machine along with our UK supplier to ensure we meet stringent UK pharmacy standards and ensure drugs are stored securely. We have used cutting edge technology to ensure that the right medicine goes to the right person every time and have spent months testing to validate our process.

The collection point is well lit 24/7 and covered by CCTV.

What if I pay for prescriptions – can I still use the collection point?

Yes! You can pay online 24/7 in advance of collecting your prescription. You will get your pin number as soon as payment is made. 

I am exempt from prescription charges –  how do I sign the prescription?

For most exemption reasons we can keep a record of your exemption evidence and sign on your behalf. There are some exclusions to this and you will be asked to declare your exemption on our online portal as part of the order process. 

Is this automation going to cost people their jobs?

Absolutely not. We are not looking to reduce staff numbers in any way. In fact, since installing a similar machine in another branch we have increased staff levels due to increased demand for our services.  This machine complements the other dispensing robot we have in the pharmacy, without which our team would not have been able to provide such a great dispensing service in such a small space. We are committed to harnessing technology wherever possible to make everything we do more efficient because that will help us provide the best possible service to the local community. 

Register to use the Automated collection service by completing the form above, or speaking to one of the team on your next visit or on 01206 562848