At MedExpress, every order is reviewed by a qualified clinician to ensure the requested treatment is safe and medically appropriate for you. In some cases, a clinician may decline a prescription request.
Use this guide to understand:
Why a prescription might be declined.
When you can and cannot place a new order.
How the refund process works for declined orders.
Why would a prescription be declined?
Prescriptions are declined only when a clinician identifies a safety concern or a regulatory restriction. Common reasons include:
Medical Contraindications: Your medical history or current medications may make the treatment unsafe.
BMI Requirements: Your BMI may be outside the safe clinical range for the specific medication requested.
Safety Concerns: The clinician may identify "red flag" symptoms that require a face-to-face assessment with your GP first.
Regulatory Restrictions: Certain UK prescribing laws may prevent us from issuing the medication under your specific circumstances.
Can I place a new order?
Whether you can place a new order depends entirely on the reason your previous prescription was declined:
When you can place a new order:
If the order was declined due to a temporary issue—such as selecting the wrong dose strength or an error in your consultation form—you will usually be able to place a new order for the correct treatment once the original is cancelled.
When you cannot place a new order:
If a clinician declines your request because the treatment is deemed medically unsafe for you (for example, due to a pre-existing health condition or a dangerous drug interaction), you will not be able to place a new order for that specific treatment.
This restriction is in place for your protection.
Attempting to place multiple orders after a clinical decline for safety reasons will not change the outcome, as our clinicians will have already flagged the medical risk on your patient record.
Refunds for declined orders
If your prescription is declined, you do not need to worry about the cost.
Full Refund: You will receive a full refund for any order that is declined by our clinical team.
Method: The refund will be processed back to your original payment method or issued as account credit, depending on your preference.
Timing: Refunds typically take 3–5 working days to be processed, though your bank may take up to 10 working days to show the funds.
Next steps
If your order is declined, our clinical team will send you an email explaining the specific reason for their decision.
If it was a safety concern: We strongly recommend following the clinician's advice and consulting your local GP.
If it was a mistake on the form: You can proceed with a new order once your refund is confirmed.
If you still need help after reviewing the information above, additional assistance is available.