The rule that matters
Regulation 225 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 lets a pharmacist supply a medicine you already take, without a prescription, in an emergency. But it excludes controlled drugs in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 when you are the one asking. The only exception is phenobarbital for the treatment of epilepsy.
If your medicine is in one of those schedules, no amount of explaining will change the answer at the counter — the pharmacist is not being difficult, they are being lawful. You need a prescriber. Go to NHS 111, your out-of-hours GP service, or your specialist team.
What can and cannot be supplied
| Category | Examples | Emergency supply at your request? |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule 2 controlled drugs | Methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, dexamfetamine, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl | No — a prescriber is required |
| Schedule 3 controlled drugs | Tramadol, buprenorphine, temazepam, midazolam, pregabalin, gabapentin | No — except phenobarbital for epilepsy |
| Schedule 4 and 5 controlled drugs | Most benzodiazepines such as diazepam and lorazepam, zopiclone, and low-strength preparations in Schedule 5 | Yes — up to 5 days' treatment |
| Prescription-only medicines that are not controlled drugs | Insulin, inhalers, levothyroxine, antidepressants, blood-pressure medicines, HRT | Yes — up to 30 days' treatment, with the exceptions below |
Schedules can and do change — pregabalin and gabapentin only became Schedule 3 in April 2019 — so if you are unsure which applies to your medicine, ask the pharmacist. They will know immediately.
The medicines with their own quantity rules
Some medicines are named in the regulations with a specific quantity rather than the general 30-day limit, because packs cannot sensibly be split:
- Insulin — the smallest pack the pharmacist has available.
- An inhaler for asthma — the smallest pack available.
- An ointment or cream — the smallest pack available.
- An oral contraceptive — enough for a full treatment cycle.
- An antibiotic in liquid form for oral use — the smallest quantity that provides a full course.
Practically, this means someone who has run out of insulin or their preventer inhaler is in a much better position than someone who has run out of ADHD medicine: the pharmacy route is open to them.
If you have run out of ADHD medicine
This is the most common version of this problem, partly because ADHD medicines have been in repeated national shortage. Two different things can be going on, and they need different responses.
- You have run out and need a prescription. A pharmacy cannot help on your request. Contact your prescriber, or NHS 111 out of hours, and be ready with the exact product, strength, formulation and when the next dose is due. If your treatment is managed under a shared-care agreement with a specialist, say so — it changes who needs to act.
- You have a valid prescription but no pharmacy has the product. That is a supply problem, not an emergency-supply problem. Check the national picture on the ADHD medication shortage page and use the stock checker to build a call list, then ask whether a Serious Shortage Protocol applies to your exact product.
If you have run out of insulin
Go to a pharmacy without delay. Insulin is not a controlled drug, the smallest-pack rule exists precisely for this situation, and pharmacists take running out of insulin seriously. Take the pen, cartridge or vial, or a photo of the label, so the exact product and strength are unambiguous — insulins are not interchangeable and getting the specific product right matters.
If you have run out of an opioid or another Schedule 2 or 3 medicine
Contact a prescriber straight away rather than travelling to pharmacies. Out of hours, that means NHS 111, which can route you to an out-of-hours GP service or urgent treatment centre where someone can assess you and prescribe. If you take opioid substitution therapy, contact your treatment service — they have arrangements for exactly this and missing doses matters clinically.
The one route that does work for controlled drugs
An emergency supply can also be made at the request of a prescriber, and that provision is not limited in the same way as a request from a patient. So if you can reach your GP, specialist or an out-of-hours clinician, they can speak to the pharmacy directly. That is why the fastest path for a controlled drug is almost always "get a prescriber on the phone", not "try another pharmacy".
Questions people ask
Can a pharmacist give me an emergency supply of ADHD medication?
No, not at your request. Most ADHD stimulants — methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, dexamfetamine — are Schedule 2 controlled drugs, and regulation 225 does not permit an emergency supply of a Schedule 1, 2 or 3 controlled drug at a patient's request. You need a prescriber: contact NHS 111, your out-of-hours GP service, or the specialist team that manages your treatment.
Can I get emergency insulin from a pharmacy?
Insulin is not a controlled drug, so a pharmacist can consider an emergency supply in the normal way, provided the usual conditions are met. The law sets a specific quantity for it: the smallest pack the pharmacist has available. Go to a pharmacy promptly rather than waiting — and if you have symptoms of very high blood glucose or diabetic ketoacidosis, treat it as an emergency and call 999.
Which controlled drugs can be supplied in an emergency?
Only those in Schedule 4 or 5, and only up to 5 days' treatment. Schedule 1, 2 and 3 controlled drugs are excluded, with a single exception: phenobarbital, which may be supplied for the treatment of epilepsy.
Are pregabalin and gabapentin controlled drugs?
Yes. Both were reclassified as Class C controlled drugs in Schedule 3 on 1 April 2019. That means a pharmacist cannot make an emergency supply of either at your request, which surprises a lot of people who take them for nerve pain or anxiety. You need a prescriber.
Can I get an emergency inhaler?
An inhaler for asthma is one of the medicines named in the regulations with its own quantity rule: the pharmacist supplies the smallest pack available. Ask promptly rather than waiting until you have none left. If you are having an asthma attack — struggling to breathe or speak, or your reliever is not working — call 999.
What do I do if I have run out of my opioid painkiller?
Strong opioids such as morphine and oxycodone are Schedule 2 controlled drugs, and tramadol and buprenorphine are Schedule 3, so a pharmacy cannot supply them on your request. Contact your prescriber, or NHS 111 out of hours, and explain what you take and when the next dose is due. If you are dependent on an opioid, say so — abrupt withdrawal is a clinical issue in its own right and services take it seriously.
Related pages
Emergency supply: the full guide
Both routes, the quantity limits, the costs and the out-of-hours plan.
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.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The devolved emergency supply services and how they differ from England.
Medicine stock checker
National shortage status plus a call list of nearby pharmacies.
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.