A weak opioid with unpredictable effect and a real dependence risk. We do not prescribe it remotely, and this page explains why.
Explained by a GMC-registered GP, not a leaflet
Honest about what we can and cannot prescribe remotely
Side effects given the same weight as benefits
Your NHS records in the room, with your consent
Care led personally by Dr Khan
Attentive, unhurried care that listens properly
Five-star Google reviews from the people we have looked after
Registered with the Care Quality Commission
Codeine is a weak opioid analgesic. It is a prodrug — it has little effect until the liver converts it into morphine, which does the actual work.
That conversion is where the unpredictability comes from. It depends on an enzyme, CYP2D6, whose activity varies widely between individuals:
Co-codamol is codeine combined with paracetamol in a single tablet.
Current UK guidance has moved substantially away from opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, because the evidence for long-term benefit is weak while the evidence of harm — dependence, tolerance, and pain that worsens on treatment — is strong.
NICE guidance on chronic primary pain does not recommend opioids at all.
Where a clinician who has examined you prescribes codeine, take it exactly as directed, for the shortest period possible.
Do not drive if it makes you drowsy. It is an offence to drive while impaired, and codeine is covered by drug-driving law.
Anyone taking codeine regularly needs proper review of whether it is still helping, which is a face-to-face conversation about function rather than a pain score.
We do not prescribe codeine or any other opioid remotely. That applies to first requests, to repeat requests, to people who have taken it safely for years, and to people in genuine pain.
The reasons are not administrative:
This page exists so that the answer is clear before you book rather than after you have paid. If codeine is what you are looking for, we are not the right service, and we would rather say so here.
What we can do is assess the pain properly, treat what is causing it, use the analgesics that are safe to prescribe remotely, and refer where that is what is needed.
Codeine is inexpensive as a drug. It is a controlled drug under UK law, with prescribing restrictions that exist for good reason.
Low-dose co-codamol can be bought from a pharmacy after speaking to the pharmacist, licensed for three days only. Buying it repeatedly from different pharmacies is a recognised pattern of dependence, and pharmacists are trained to notice it — not to catch people out, but because it is treatable.
Codeine bought online without a prescription may be counterfeit and may not be codeine at all. Tablets sold as opioids have contained synthetic opioids many times stronger, and people have died.
Opioid withdrawal is unpleasant — anxiety, sweating, aching, insomnia, diarrhoea and agitation. It is not dangerous in the way alcohol withdrawal is, but it is enough to drive people straight back onto the drug.
Reduction should be gradual and supported, typically by around 10% of the dose every one to two weeks, slower at the end. Many people find their pain no worse, and their function better, once off it.
Needing codeine to feel normal, taking more than prescribed, or running out early are signs of dependence, not of weakness. Your NHS GP can help, and local drug and alcohol services accept self-referral. This is common and treatable, and asking is the hard part.
No. Long-standing use is a reason for a proper face-to-face review, not for a remote prescription. Your NHS GP holds your record and can see the full picture.
Not with an opioid. Contact NHS 111, who can arrange urgent supply of regular medication out of hours. That route exists precisely for this.
Because around one in ten people cannot convert it to morphine. It is genetic, not imagined, and taking more will not help — a different class of painkiller is needed.
Yes. Dependence can develop within weeks of regular use, often in people who never expected it and who took it exactly as prescribed.
A proper assessment of what is causing the pain, treatment aimed at the cause, non-opioid analgesia including topical and neuropathic options, and referral where needed. For many chronic pain conditions that is better care than an opioid, not a lesser substitute.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026
On this page
Ongoing
Time to be seen
Appointment length
Your NHS record in the room
Written treatment plan
Told when a test isn’t needed
Cost
Same day, usually
20 minutes
Yes, with your consent
Included
Yes, and told why
£40 for 20 minutes
Varies by practice
Typically 10 minutes
Yes, your full record
Not routinely
Usually
Free
Same day
Often 10 to 15 minutes
Usually not
Sometimes charged
Varies by provider
Often a subscription
Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
Patient reviews