Short answer (England): through an NHS 111 referral you pay the standard £9.90 per item, or nothing if you are exempt. Walk in and ask a pharmacist directly and the pharmacy sets its own price. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: free.
Cost by route
| Route | What you pay |
|---|---|
| NHS 111 refers you to a pharmacy (England) | £9.90 per item, or free if you are exempt or have a prepayment certificate |
| You ask a pharmacist directly (England) | The pharmacy's private price. It varies, so ask first |
| Out-of-hours GP or urgent treatment centre issues a prescription (England) | The normal NHS charge, or free if you are exempt |
| Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | Free. Each nation runs an NHS emergency supply arrangement. Details |
Who pays nothing in England
The NHS lists who gets free prescriptions. It includes people aged 60 or over, under 16, or 16 to 18 and in full-time education; people with a valid maternity or medical exemption certificate; and people getting certain benefits. If you pay for several items a year, a prepayment certificate covers emergency NHS supplies too.
How to pay the least
- If you are exempt or have a prepayment certificate, use the 111 online emergency prescription service first, so the supply is an NHS one.
- If you are not exempt, compare: £9.90 per item via 111, against the price the pharmacy quotes for a walk-in supply. For a cheap medicine the walk-in price can be lower; for an expensive one, 111 is usually cheaper.
- Always ask the price before the pharmacist dispenses a walk-in supply.
More: the full emergency supply guide and the NHS 111 emergency supply guide.
Questions people ask
Is an emergency prescription free?
It is free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England it is free if you are exempt from prescription charges or hold a prepayment certificate and the supply is an NHS one, for example after an NHS 111 referral. Otherwise it is the normal £9.90 per item through the NHS route, or the pharmacy's own price if you ask a pharmacist directly.
Why did the pharmacy charge me more than the prescription charge?
In England, an emergency supply you ask for yourself is made under regulation 225 rather than on an NHS prescription, so the pharmacy can set its own price, often the cost of the medicine plus a fee. Ask the price before they dispense. Going through NHS 111 first makes it an NHS supply.
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.
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.
111 online emergency prescription, step by step
The NHS 111 online emergency prescription service: what it asks and what happens next.
Emergency supply by medicine
Inhalers, insulin, epilepsy, antidepressants, HRT, the pill and ADHD medicine: what you can get for each.
Forgot your medicine away from home?
On holiday or staying away: any UK pharmacy can help. How to prove what you take.
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 27 October 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 NHSBSA Serious Shortage Protocols. See our editorial policy and data sources.