People and movement
Get help if essential medicine runs out
If you are running out of prescribed medicine, contact your pharmacy or prescriber promptly. An emergency supply depends on the medicine, your circumstances and professional assessment. Routes differ across the four UK nations. This guide helps you reach the right service and prepare the information it may need.
Published: Updated:
Last checked: 8 November 2026 How we evaluate sources
Start with your usual pharmacy or prescriber
Explain what you need, how much remains and when the next dose is due. If the practice is open, ask about an urgent prescription. A pharmacist may be able to arrange an emergency supply, or explain the next step.
If you already have a prescription but the pharmacy is shut or out of stock, ask an open pharmacy what it can dispense and whether anything needs transferring. Call before travelling where possible. An emergency referral does not guarantee stock or a supply.
Use the route for where you are
| Nation | Urgent route |
|---|---|
| England | If you have completely run out of a regular repeat medicine, use NHS 111 online emergency prescriptions. If you also have symptoms, call 111 instead. Ask your pharmacy or GP for other medicine requests. |
| Scotland | Speak to a community pharmacist or GP. NHS inform has an accessing-medicines guide. For urgent care when your GP and pharmacy are closed, call NHS 24 on 111. |
| Wales | Ask a community pharmacist about an emergency supply. Use NHS 111 Wales for pharmacy information and its accessing-medicines guidance. Call 111 if you need further help. |
| Northern Ireland | Ask a community pharmacist about the Emergency Supply Service. Use nidirect for pharmacy opening arrangements. If you need urgent medical care when your GP is closed, use the local GP out-of-hours service; it is not for routine repeat prescriptions. |
England: NHS 111 emergency prescription service (opens in a new tab)Scotland: prescriptions and urgent supplies (opens in a new tab)Scotland: when to phone NHS 24 (opens in a new tab)Wales: out-of-hours medicine help (opens in a new tab)Northern Ireland: community pharmacists (opens in a new tab)Northern Ireland: local GP out-of-hours services (opens in a new tab)
Know the limits before you travel
England's 111 online emergency prescription form is for a limited supply of regular repeat medicine that has completely run out. It cannot provide antibiotics for a new or recent problem, or controlled drugs requiring identification to collect. Call 111 to discuss other urgent needs.
Across the UK, some medicines cannot be supplied through an emergency pharmacy route. Ask what happens next if the pharmacist cannot help. Charges depend on the route and your circumstances; ask before collecting. NHS 111 online is available in England only.
England service eligibility and charges (opens in a new tab)NHS 111 online coverage (opens in a new tab)Northern Ireland: emergency supply information (opens in a new tab)
Your information checklist
- Medicine name, strength and the instructions on its dispensing label.
- A repeat slip, labelled packaging or accessible medication record, if available.
- Your usual GP and pharmacy, current location and contact number.
- When you last took it, when the next dose is due and any symptoms.
- Any allergies and relevant care-team contact details.
- Whether you can collect it or need to discuss another arrangement.
Reduce the chance of running out
Agree a repeat-order reminder with your pharmacy and allow its advised processing time, especially before holidays. Keep an up-to-date medicine list with your private emergency plan. If supply is disrupted, ask a pharmacist or prescriber about the next step. Order only what you need.
Northern Ireland: managing medicine shortages (opens in a new tab)
Prepare for a pharmacy closure, power cut or delivery delay
Before a disruption, check how much medicine remains and order repeats through your normal arrangements. The Be Ready checklist advises allowing up to five working days before you need the medicine; confirm your pharmacy’s own ordering and delivery times, especially around holidays. Do not change doses or request unsuitable stockpiles.
Keep a current paper list of names, strengths, doses and allergies, with pharmacy and prescriber contacts. For refrigerated medicine, ask your pharmacy in advance what to do if power fails. Advice depends on the product and temperatures involved: do not assume all medicines have the same safe time outside a fridge, freeze them or discard essential treatment without advice.
If supplies run out, explain the next dose time, the exact medicine and any symptoms. Call before travelling to check the service is open and can help. Use the nation-specific routes above; referral does not guarantee stock or an emergency supply.
Be Ready: repeat prescriptions and medical supplies (opens in a new tab)NHS pharmacy guidance on homecare medicines (opens in a new tab)Keep your contacts on paper
Common questions
Can a pharmacist always provide an emergency supply?
No. The pharmacist must assess the request, check relevant information and follow rules for the medicine. Ask for the next appropriate service if supply is not possible.
What if I am away from home?
Contact a local pharmacy and explain where your medicine is normally prescribed. Bring a repeat slip or labelled packaging if you have it, and use the urgent-care route for the nation you are in.
Make your next step practical
Keep preparing
Evidence and service information
Sources behind this guidance
We develop our guidance using the sources below. Check the named organisation for current service details, live warnings and local instructions. Sources checked 8 November 2026.
- Emergency prescriptionsNHS
- Emergency prescription serviceNHS 111
- NHS 111 onlineNHS
- PrescriptionsNHS inform
- When to phone 111NHS 24
- What to do out of hoursNHS 111 Wales
- Community pharmacistsnidirect
- GP out of hours servicenidirect
- Medication safety: supplementary informationDepartment of Health Northern Ireland, SPPG
- Medicine shortagesnidirect
- Medical supplies and repeat prescriptionsGOV.UK Be Ready
- Homecare medicines, including cold storageCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust