APPLICATION PROCESS 

Why am I not able to buy medicines without having to complete the pharma application process?

Under UK legislation, we are authorised to supply medicinal products as a wholesale transaction to another business, through our Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA). Wholesale Distributors must ensure they supply medicinal products only to persons who themselves are in possession of a WDA or who are authorised or entitled to supply/administer medicinal products to the public. In the event you are not a WDA holder, authorised as a prescriber or under a Human Medicines Regulation 2012, as amended, Schedule 17 exemption, you will only be entitled to procure products categorised as General Sales List (GSL) products. For Medisave (UK) Ltd to supply the medicinal products, we must carry out checks on your prescribing authority, organisation and address; the application form assists us in the process.

If I do not hold authority to order medicinal products or hold a WDA, what am I able to procure?

Only medicinal products with the general sales list (GSL) category after the customer approval process has been completed.

What is a Schedule 17 exemption?

Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, as amended, outlines provisions for specific healthcare professionals and specified organisations such as schools who can legally procure specified medicinal products, provided the professional or organisation meets the requirements defined within the specific exemption. Additionally, there are specific circumstances which could allow for the procurement of additional medicines, such as working on an offshore installation. 

The full schedule can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/cy/uksi/2012/1916/schedule/17.

If you require further information on a specific exemption, please contact pharma@medisave.co.uk. Examples include but not limited to:

  • Paramedics
  • Podiatrist/chiropodist with annotations
  • Schools
  • Universities or higher education
  • Research facilities

Why do I have to supply my ID, utility bill or additional supporting documentation?

In certain circumstances, Medisave (UK) Ltd are unable to verify your information using third-party verification methods and therefore, to approve your application we must request additional documentation to confirm the authenticity of your application to protect the legitimate supply chain.

Why is there a time delay from submission of application to approval?

Our process can take up to 72 hours to complete once we have received all necessary information from yourselves, as we carry out the following:

  • Checks on your authority to procure, the organisation and the delivery address
  • Checks on your lead healthcare professional form
  • Checks on your Schedule 17 exemption form if applicable
  • Approval process of your application with our responsible person
  • Creation of your account on our online platform
  • Applying your credit limit if a new account

Why am I unable to use a residential address?

The MHRA, which is the licensing authority who are responsible for WDA holders in the UK, strongly discourage supply to home addresses as they are unverifiable by third-party competent authorities. For example: a check on a doctor on the GMC register does not confirm the address of that doctor. Therefore, unless the circumstances are extenuating or the business is operating from a residential address and as such it is verifiable through Company house or equivalent, a residential address will not be approved. 

I am trained to administer the medicinal product, however, your system won’t allow me to order other product categories that General Sales List, why?

Under UK legislation, we are authorised to supply medicinal products as a wholesale transaction to another business, through our Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA). Wholesale Distributors must ensure they supply medicinal products only to persons who themselves are in possession of a WDA or who is authorised or entitled to supply/administer medicinal products to the public. In the event, you are not a WDA holder, authorised as a prescriber or under a Human Medicines Regulation 2012, as amended, Schedule 17 exemption, you will only be entitled to procure products categorised as General Sales List (GSL) products. This unfortunately does not change if you have completed training in administering the products, you still require the authority to procure.

ORDERING 

Why can’t I add pharmaceuticals to my basket after I’ve been approved?

On approval you will be requested to register an account with the pharma approved email. Once registered you need to inform Medisave that this has been completed so the team can authorise your registration to procure pharmaceuticals. Please note any other email addresses that have not been stipulated on the customer application form, and the lead healthcare professional form will not be approved for ordering pharmaceuticals.

Why do I have to order medicines on a credit account?

Due to the payment gateway we use to take card payments; we are unable to process a payment for a medicinal product. Therefore, all pharma accounts who do not have an existing credit account with Medisave (UK) Ltd will have an automatic £250 credit limit applied to their account to facilitate an easier ordering process. Therefore, in the event your order is over £250 pounds or takes you over your credit limit you will be required to pay the proforma invoice in advance of your order being processed.

What if my product is out of stock when I order it?

The product ordered will be placed on backorder against your account and will be delivered once Medisave receives additional stock. In the event the backorder is over a month old, you will be contacted prior to shipping to confirm the product is still required. 

Why do I have to confirm my use of the product?

Under certain exemptions or circumstances, we must confirm use of the product is in line with your scope of practice. Once confirmed, you should not be questioned about the same product.

Why do I have to confirm the reason for ordering the quantity I have? 

Where you have ordered a large quantity or there have been changes in your purchasing patterns, the Medisave Compliance Team may contact to confirm the reason for the change in ordering. This is part of our responsibilities as a WDA holder. 

Why do I have to supply an authorisation letter?

For certain Schedule 17, Human Medicines Regulations 2012, as amended, exemptions, procurement of medicines are only authorised with an authorisation letter from the appropriate specified person. The requirements for the letter are dictated by Schedule 17.

The full schedule can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/cy/uksi/2012/1916/schedule/17.

If you require further information on a specific exemption, please contact pharma@medisave.co.uk. We have created template letters which will be supplied to yourself at point of customer approval which you are able to utilise or provide your own version. Examples of exemptions affected include schools, training providers, research organisations etc. A letter will be required with each order. 

I am a vet, why do I need to supply a cascade letter?

Under Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, veterinary medicinal products must be administered in accordance with the prescribing cascade. The cascade is a legal framework that allows for the prescribing of medicinal products that are specifically authorised for a condition or given animal. Therefore, if you are a vet wishing to procure human medicinal products for the purpose of treating an animal, we will request a confirmation letter stating the medicine requested, quantity, purpose of the purchase and confirming that the medicines procured will be procured and prescribed strictly in accordance with the veterinary prescribing cascade.

DELIVERY 

Who should I contact regarding delivery issues?

For any queries relating to delivery, please email pharma@medisave.co.uk to get a swift resolution to your query.

Why am I unable to redirect my order?

Medicinal products orders must be delivered to the address that has been approved as checks will have been completed on the legitimacy of the address.

I place an order for medicinal products and non-medicinal products; will they be delivered together?

No, they will be supplied separately. All medicinal products are processed by our dedicated compliance team separate to our main warehouse operations and sent using our temperature-controlled logistics provider and as such is supplied separately to non-medicinal products. Therefore, the order will come from two separate logistic providers and potentially on different days.

Why can I not receive my order on a Monday?

Due to restrictions on medicinal product supplies, logistics providers should not hold a medicinal product in a single location for longer than 36 hours and as such there is a risk that a weekend would breach this rule. Therefore, we only dispatch Monday to Thursday on a next-day delivery service. 

My medicinal products I have order are to be held in the fridge, how will my delivery arrive?

We utilise a fully temperature-controlled logistics provider therefore, whilst under our control and with our logistics provider we can guarantee your medicinal products will be held within the defined temperature specifications of the product. We also have alerts in place to highlight any excursions in temperature allowing us to investigate and take measures to protect product quality and integrity. In the event your product is compromised, we will return the product to our site and resend to protect patient safety. 

I received a dispatch email but have already received my order, is it a duplicate order and being sent again?

No, this email is automatically generated from our electronic system which can be sent up to four days after point of invoicing. You will only receive one order. 

AMENDING, CANCELLING AND RETURNS  

How can I amend my order?

Orders can only be amended prior to dispatch by emailing pharma@medisave.co.uk. Once dispatched an order cannot be amended. Please be aware orders placed prior to 12pm will be dispatched on the same day. 

How can I cancel my order?

Prior to dispatch your order can be cancelled by emailing pharma@medisave.co.uk. Any cancellation must be received in writing and cannot be cancelled over the phone. If your order has already been dispatched, we are unable to cancel the order. Please be aware orders placed prior to 12pm will be dispatched on the same day. 

Do you accept returns?

We do not accept returns on pharmaceuticals.

I ordered the wrong product, can I return it?

We do not accept returns on pharmaceuticals.