What is the same, and what differs
The same everywhere: regulation 225 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 is UK-wide. Any community pharmacist in the UK can consider an emergency supply of a medicine you already take, with the same conditions and the same quantity limits, and the same exclusion of Schedule 1, 2 and 3 controlled drugs.
Different by nation: the NHS service built around that power, who is eligible for it, what you pay, and which out-of-hours number to ring.
At a glance
| Nation | NHS route when you have run out | Out of hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Ask a pharmacist directly, or get an NHS 111 referral to a pharmacy for an urgent medicine supply under Pharmacy First | 111 online or call 111 | £9.90 per item on the NHS route unless exempt; a pharmacist-requested supply is priced by the pharmacy |
| Scotland | Go to a community pharmacy — pharmacists can supply urgently needed repeat medicines when your practice is closed | NHS 24, call 111 | Free — NHS prescriptions are free in Scotland |
| Wales | The NHS Emergency Medicines Supply service at participating community pharmacies | NHS 111 Wales, online or by phone | Free at the point of access |
| Northern Ireland | The Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service — every community pharmacy takes part | GP out-of-hours service | Free — prescriptions are free in Northern Ireland |
Scotland
If you run out of your regular medicine and your GP practice is closed, speak to a community pharmacist — they may be able to supply what you urgently need, usually enough to bridge the gap until a new prescription can be organised. NHS prescriptions in Scotland are free, so cost is not the barrier it can be in England.
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is a related but separate service: it lets a pharmacist treat common conditions such as sore throat, earache and urinary tract infections without a GP appointment. Running out of a repeat medicine is handled through the emergency supply route rather than that pathway.
Out of hours, NHS 24 is the number — call 111. NHS 111 online is an England service and does not cover Scotland.
Wales
Wales funds an Emergency Medicines Supply service (EMS) through community pharmacies as part of its clinical community pharmacy services. If you have forgotten or run out of your regular prescription medicine, need it urgently, and cannot get a prescription from your GP before the next dose is due, a participating pharmacist may supply it. The service is free at the point of access.
Not every pharmacy provides it at every hour, so check which pharmacies are participating on the NHS 111 Wales service-finder, or phone before travelling. The same exclusions apply as everywhere else: some medicines, including most controlled drugs, cannot be supplied this way, and the pharmacist will tell you what to do instead.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland operates a Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service, and every community pharmacy is required to offer it, so access does not depend on finding a participating branch. It is for situations where you have run out of your medicines and do not have a prescription.
Take evidence of what you are prescribed — the box, the dispensing label, or a repeat slip. During practice hours the pharmacist may contact your GP practice to confirm; in the evenings or at weekends they will use the out-of-hours medical service. For urgent medical problems that cannot wait, the GP out-of-hours service is the route.
Crossing borders
People get caught out by this on holiday and on work trips. The pharmacist's legal power to make an emergency supply travels with you anywhere in the UK, but the NHS-funded service may not — some arrangements are limited to people registered with a practice in that nation. In practice: you can still be helped, you may be asked to pay in England, and you should carry evidence of your prescription.
If you are travelling within the UK for more than a few days, our guide on travelling with medication covers what to take and how to plan around a shortage.
Questions people ask
How do I get an emergency prescription in Scotland?
Go to a community pharmacy. If your GP practice is closed and you have run out of a medicine you are already prescribed, the pharmacist may be able to supply what you urgently need. NHS prescriptions are free in Scotland. Out of hours, contact NHS 24 by calling 111.
How does emergency supply work in Wales?
Wales runs an NHS-funded Emergency Medicines Supply service through community pharmacies. If you have run out of your regular prescription medicine and cannot get a prescription before your next dose is due, a participating pharmacist may supply it. It is free at the point of access, and participating pharmacies are listed on the NHS 111 Wales website.
Can I get an emergency supply in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Northern Ireland has a Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service that every community pharmacy participates in, so there is equal access across all areas. Take evidence of what you are prescribed. Out of hours, the GP out-of-hours service covers urgent problems that cannot wait for your practice to open.
Is NHS 111 online available across the UK?
NHS 111 online is the England service. Scotland uses NHS 24, which you reach by calling 111. Wales has NHS 111 Wales, online and by phone. Northern Ireland does not use 111 in the same way — contact your GP practice or its out-of-hours service, or a community pharmacy.
Do I pay for an emergency supply outside England?
NHS prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and each nation's NHS emergency supply arrangement is free at the point of access. In England there is a charge for NHS prescriptions unless you are exempt, and a pharmacist-requested supply under regulation 225 is priced by the pharmacy.
What if I am visiting from another part of the UK?
A pharmacist anywhere in the UK can still consider an emergency supply under regulation 225, because that is UK-wide law. What may not apply is the local NHS-funded service, which can be limited to people registered with a practice in that nation. Take the box, the dispensing label or your NHS App record, and expect to be asked more questions than at your usual pharmacy.
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.
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.