Fast answer
If a pharmacy is open, go there first. A pharmacist can often supply a medicine you already take, without a prescription, as an emergency supply. Take the box, the label or your repeat slip.
If pharmacies are closed, or the pharmacist cannot help, use NHS 111 online or call 111. NHS 111 does not dispense medicine itself — it works out the fastest safe route and arranges it, usually by referring you electronically to a pharmacy.
If your medicine is a controlled drug — ADHD stimulants, strong opioids, pregabalin, gabapentin — a pharmacist cannot make an emergency supply on your request. Go straight to NHS 111 or your out-of-hours GP service, because you need a prescriber.
On this page
First, how urgent is this?
Work out whether missing the next dose is a same-day clinical risk or an administrative problem that can wait until your surgery opens. The answer depends on the medicine, the condition, how many doses you have left, and what your clinician has told you about missed doses.
Treat it as urgent if you are due to miss a dose of something you have been told not to stop, or if you already have symptoms from missing it. Medicines that commonly need faster escalation include insulin, anti-seizure medicines, anticoagulants, transplant and immunosuppressant medicines, oral steroids, Parkinson's medicines, opioid substitution therapy, lithium, some heart medicines and some mental health medicines.
The two routes that get you medicine
Route 1 — walk into a pharmacy and ask
This is the fastest route when a pharmacy is open. You are asking for an emergency supply at the request of a patient, which is allowed by regulation 225 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. The pharmacist must be satisfied of three things before they can supply:
- that there is an immediate need for the medicine, and that it is impracticable to get a prescription first without undue delay;
- that the medicine has been prescribed for you before by a relevant prescriber;
- that they can establish the appropriate dose for you.
Bring whatever helps them satisfy those points quickly: the medicine box or dispensing label, your repeat slip or NHS App record, the exact name, strength, formulation and dose, your GP surgery details, and anything relevant about allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding or recent changes to your medicines. The pharmacist must record the supply and label it "Emergency Supply".
In England this route is a private transaction rather than an NHS prescription, so the pharmacy may charge — see what it costs.
Route 2 — go through NHS 111
If you cannot get to an open pharmacy, or the pharmacist cannot help, use the NHS 111 emergency prescription route: 111 online if you are on a repeat prescription, or call 111 to talk it through. NHS 111 asks what you take, when the next dose is due and where you are, then routes you.
In England the most common outcome is an electronic referral to a community pharmacy for an urgent supply of medicine, one of the referral pathways within the Pharmacy First service. That matters for two reasons: the pharmacy is expecting you, and it is an NHS supply, so normal prescription charges and exemptions apply rather than a private price. You cannot self-refer into that pathway — the referral has to come from NHS 111 or another authorised service.
Depending on your answers, 111 may instead send you to an out-of-hours GP service or an urgent treatment centre, where a prescriber can assess you and issue a prescription. That is the route you need when the medicine cannot be supplied by a pharmacist — controlled drugs, a medicine you have never been prescribed, or a dose that needs reviewing.
What a pharmacist is allowed to give you
Emergency supply is not unlimited. Regulation 225 caps the quantity, and rules it out entirely for some medicines.
| Medicine | Most a pharmacist can supply in an emergency |
|---|---|
| Most prescription-only medicines | Up to 30 days' treatment |
| Controlled drugs in Schedule 4 or 5 | Up to 5 days' treatment |
| Controlled drugs in Schedule 1, 2 or 3 | Not permitted at your request at all — the single exception is phenobarbital for epilepsy |
| Insulin, a cream or ointment, or an inhaler for asthma | The smallest pack the pharmacist has available |
| An oral contraceptive | Enough for a full treatment cycle |
| An antibiotic in liquid form for oral use | The smallest quantity that gives a full course |
Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs are the limit that catches most people out. It covers ADHD stimulants such as methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine, strong opioids such as morphine and oxycodone, tramadol, buprenorphine, and also pregabalin and gabapentin, which became Schedule 3 controlled drugs in April 2019. If you take one of these, a pharmacist cannot help on your request alone — you need a prescriber. The controlled drugs page explains what to do instead.
What it costs
| Route | What you pay |
|---|---|
| You ask a pharmacist directly (regulation 225), England | Not an NHS prescription. The pharmacy sets its own charge — ask the price before they dispense. Some pharmacies charge nothing. |
| NHS 111 refers you for an NHS urgent supply, England | The standard NHS charge of £9.90 per item, or free if you are exempt or hold a prepayment certificate. |
| Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | NHS prescriptions are free in all three nations, and each has its own NHS-funded emergency supply arrangement. See the detail. |
If cost is the barrier, say so — a pharmacist would far rather find you an NHS route than have you go without a dose of something important.
Evenings, weekends and bank holidays
Most emergency supply requests happen when the GP surgery is shut, and the routes above still work. Some pharmacies open late and at weekends; the NHS find a pharmacy service lists opening hours. Bank holidays are the hardest, because surgeries and many pharmacies close together and wholesaler deliveries pause.
If your surgery is closed, its answerphone should say how to reach the out-of-hours service. NHS 111 covers the gap in every case. The out-of-hours page has the full plan, including what to do if you realise on a Friday evening that you will not last the weekend.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Regulation 225 is UK-wide law, so the pharmacist's emergency supply power exists everywhere. What differs is the NHS service wrapped around it: Wales runs an NHS-funded Emergency Medicines Supply service through community pharmacies, Northern Ireland has a Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service that every community pharmacy participates in, and in Scotland community pharmacists supply urgently needed repeat medicines with NHS prescriptions free at the point of use. Full detail by nation.
If the cause is a shortage, not a missed order
An emergency supply route does not conjure medicine that the pharmacy cannot obtain. If you have run out because the medicine itself is hard to get, that is a different problem with different levers.
- Ask the pharmacist whether a Serious Shortage Protocol is active for your exact product, strength and formulation. If one is, they can supply the specified alternative against your existing prescription without going back to your GP.
- Check the national picture with the MediWatch stock checker or the live shortage tracker, so you know whether this is local or national.
- If no protocol applies, your GP, specialist or other prescriber decides whether a different strength, formulation, brand or medicine is safe for you. The pharmacist can often start that conversation faster than you can.
Do not split, stretch, double or substitute doses while you wait, and do not use someone else's medicine even if the name matches.
If the pharmacist says no
A refusal is usually one of four things: the medicine is a Schedule 2 or 3 controlled drug, the pharmacist cannot confirm what you have been prescribed, they are not satisfied the need is immediate, or they simply do not have it. Ask which it is — the answer tells you where to go next.
- Controlled drug — you need a prescriber. NHS 111, out-of-hours GP, or your specialist.
- Cannot confirm the prescription — a pharmacy that has dispensed for you before has your record. Try the one you normally use, or bring the NHS App record.
- Not satisfied it is immediate — be specific about when the next dose is due and what happens if you miss it.
- No stock — ask if they can order it, and use the stock checker to build a call list of nearby branches.
If every NHS route has been tried and you still cannot get a medicine you depend on, a private prescription is a legitimate last option, with real trade-offs. Our guide on private prescriptions as a backup sets out when it helps and when it does not.
Questions people ask
Can a pharmacist give me medicine without a prescription?
Yes, in an emergency, for a medicine you are already prescribed. Under regulation 225 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 a pharmacist may supply a prescription-only medicine at your request if they are satisfied there is an immediate need, that getting a prescription first would cause undue delay, that the medicine has been prescribed for you before, and that they can establish the right dose. It is the pharmacist's professional decision, so it is not guaranteed.
How much medicine can I get in an emergency supply?
Up to 30 days' treatment for most prescription-only medicines, and up to 5 days for controlled drugs in Schedule 4 or 5. Some medicines have their own rule: insulin, a cream or ointment and an asthma inhaler are supplied as the smallest pack the pharmacist has; an oral contraceptive as a full cycle; a liquid antibiotic as the smallest quantity that gives a full course.
Do I have to pay for an emergency supply?
It depends on the route. If you walk in and ask a pharmacist directly in England, that is a supply made under regulation 225 rather than an NHS prescription, and the pharmacy can charge you what it decides — ask the price before they dispense. If NHS 111 refers you to a pharmacy for an NHS urgent supply, normal NHS prescription charge rules apply: £9.90 per item in England, or nothing if you are exempt. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Can NHS 111 issue a prescription?
NHS 111 is an assessment service, not a dispensary — it does not hand out medicine itself. What it does is work out the fastest safe route and arrange it: usually an electronic referral to a community pharmacy for an urgent supply of a medicine you already take, or a referral to an out-of-hours GP service or urgent treatment centre where a prescriber can assess you. See can NHS 111 prescribe? for the detail.
Can I get an emergency supply of my ADHD medicine?
Not from a pharmacist acting on your request alone. Most ADHD stimulants are Schedule 2 controlled drugs, and regulation 225 does not permit an emergency supply of a Schedule 1, 2 or 3 controlled drug — the only exception is phenobarbital for epilepsy. You need a prescriber, so contact NHS 111, your out-of-hours GP service or your specialist rather than travelling to a pharmacy. See emergency supply and controlled drugs.
What if I have run out because of a national shortage?
Then an emergency supply may not solve it, because the pharmacy may have none to give. Ask the pharmacist whether a Serious Shortage Protocol is active for your exact product, which would let them supply a specified alternative against your existing prescription. Check the national status of your medicine on the stock checker or the live shortage tracker first, so you know which problem you are solving.
Should I go to A&E if I have run out of medicine?
Usually not. A&E is for emergencies. Running out of a repeat medicine is normally handled by a pharmacy, NHS 111 or an out-of-hours GP service. Go to A&E, or call 999, if missing the medicine has caused serious symptoms — for example a seizure, chest pain, breathing difficulty, or signs of diabetic ketoacidosis — or if a clinician tells you to attend.
Emergency supply, in detail
Pharmacist emergency supply rules
The three things a pharmacist must be satisfied of, how much they can give, and why they sometimes say no.
Can NHS 111 prescribe?
What 111 can and cannot do about a prescription, and what it actually does when you say you have run out.
Out of hours, weekends and bank holidays
Where to go when your GP surgery is shut and the usual pharmacy is closed.
Controlled drugs, ADHD medicine and insulin
Why a pharmacy cannot hand over ADHD or opioid medicine, and the rules that do let them help with insulin.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The devolved emergency supply services and how they differ from England.
Track your medicine free
Get an email if your medicine enters or leaves a national shortage. Free, and alerts are rare — that is good news.
Track a medicine free →Written by the MediWatch editorial team and checked against the official sources above on 4 August 2026. This page is information, not medical advice. Always follow your pharmacist, GP, specialist, NHS 111 or urgent-care advice for your own medicine. Report an accuracy issue.
This page was written by the MediWatch editorial team and checked for accuracy against NHS, NHSBSA and legislation.gov.uk guidance. Shortage information comes from official DHSC medicine supply notifications and NHS England Serious Shortage Protocols. See our editorial policy and data sources.