NHS 111 Emergency Supply: What to Do If You've Run Out of Medicine

Step 1: Decide how urgent this is

Before choosing a route, work out whether this is a same-day clinical risk or an administrative problem that can wait until your GP or pharmacy 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 a medicine that you have been told not to stop, or if you already have symptoms because you have missed treatment. Examples that often need faster escalation include insulin, anti-seizure medicines, anticoagulants, transplant or immunosuppressant medicines, oral steroids, Parkinson's medicines, opioid substitution therapy, lithium, some heart medicines and some mental health medicines.

If you are unsure, do not guess. Speak to a pharmacist, use NHS 111 online, call 111, or use emergency services if symptoms are severe or life-threatening.

Step 2: Ask a pharmacy about emergency supply

NHS guidance confirms pharmacies can provide certain medicines in an emergency even when you do not have a prescription, but this is not automatic or unlimited. A pharmacist can only do this under regulation 225 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, and only once they are satisfied that:

• there is an immediate need for the medicine and getting a prescription first would cause undue delay
• the medicine has previously been prescribed to you by a doctor or other relevant prescriber
• they can work out the appropriate dose for you

If those conditions are met, a pharmacist can normally supply up to 30 days' treatment. Some medicines have their own limits: oral contraceptives can be supplied for a full treatment cycle, and liquid antibiotics for the smallest quantity giving a full course. The pharmacist must record the supply and label it "Emergency Supply."

Important if you take a controlled drug. Regulation 225 only allows a pharmacist to make an emergency supply of controlled drugs in Schedules 4 and 5, and then only up to 5 days' treatment. Medicines in Schedules 2 and 3 cannot be supplied this way at your request at all — that includes most ADHD stimulant medicines such as methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine, and strong opioid painkillers such as morphine and oxycodone. If you have run out of one of these, a pharmacist cannot help without a prescriber, so contact NHS 111, your out-of-hours GP service or your prescriber directly rather than travelling to a pharmacy. The one exception is phenobarbital, which may be supplied for the treatment of epilepsy.

Bring or show as much evidence as possible:

• the medicine box, label, repeat slip or NHS App record
• the exact medicine name, strength, formulation and dose
• your GP surgery or prescriber details
• proof of identity if requested
• details of allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding or recent medicine changes

You may need to pay for an emergency supply from a pharmacy without a prescription — NHS guidance does not set a fixed nationwide price for this, so ask the pharmacist before they dispense. If a prescription is then issued through NHS routes, normal NHS prescription charge and exemption rules apply. If the pharmacist cannot supply it, ask them what route they recommend next and whether another pharmacy, NHS 111 or your GP out-of-hours service is more appropriate.

Step 3: How NHS 111 helps with an emergency supply

If you are on a repeat prescription and have completely run out, NHS guidance points you to the 111 online emergency prescription service, or you can call 111 directly. NHS 111 does not supply medicine itself — it asks where you are, what medicine you need, and when your next dose is due, then works out the fastest appropriate route. That is usually a referral to a pharmacy to arrange an emergency supply, but depending on your answers it can also point you to an out-of-hours GP service, an urgent treatment centre, or A&E.

This is a different service from NHS Pharmacy First, which lets a pharmacist treat specific conditions such as earache, UTIs or sore throat. Emergency supply is specifically about getting more of a medicine you are already prescribed — that is the NHS 111 route above.

Use NHS 111 rather than waiting for routine GP opening if you are going to miss an important dose before normal services reopen — this NHS 111 emergency and urgent supply route is the one most people need overnight or at a weekend. NHS 111 online is available in England; it also links out to the equivalent routes for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Use emergency services if you have symptoms that suggest immediate danger.

Step 4: Contact your GP or out-of-hours service

If the problem is not immediate but you need a prescription issued or changed, contact your GP surgery. If the surgery is closed, the answerphone should usually explain how to access out-of-hours help. NHS 111 can also route you to out-of-hours services when appropriate.

This route is often better than a pharmacy-only route when:

• the medicine is not on repeat prescription
• the pharmacy cannot legally supply it as an emergency supply
• your dose or medicine has recently changed
• you need a different formulation or brand because of a shortage
• the medicine is managed by a specialist or shared-care agreement

When contacting the surgery, be specific: "I have one dose left of [medicine, strength and formulation]. My pharmacy cannot supply it today. Can a prescriber review an urgent prescription or alternative?" That is more useful than "I need medication urgently."

Step 5: Know when urgent treatment centres or A&E fit

NHS guidance lists urgent treatment centres as one possible route for emergency prescription medicine after a consultation. They are not a replacement for routine repeat prescribing, but they can be appropriate when you need clinical assessment and cannot wait for GP opening.

A&E should be reserved for emergencies. Use it when the medicine issue is part of a serious or life-threatening situation, such as severe symptoms, a high-risk missed medicine with immediate danger, or a clinician/NHS 111 telling you to attend. For routine repeat medicines, a pharmacy, NHS 111 or out-of-hours GP route is usually more appropriate.

Step 6: If the problem is a shortage, ask about SSPs

An emergency prescription route does not automatically solve a national shortage. If the medicine is unavailable because of a supply issue, ask the pharmacist whether there is a Serious Shortage Protocol, or SSP, for the exact medicine. The NHSBSA active SSP list is the official place to check current protocols.

If an SSP is active, the pharmacist can supply only what the protocol allows and only where it is appropriate. If no SSP applies, your GP, specialist or other prescriber may need to decide whether a different medicine, strength, formulation or brand is safe.

You can also search the MediWatch shortage tracker or the A-Z medicine shortage pages to see whether there is a national supply signal and whether the page links to official source information. Some of the medicines most often affected recently include propranolol, HRT patches such as Estradot, ADHD medicines and ramipril — check the live status of your own medicine rather than assuming a shortage is the cause.

What to say at the pharmacy or to NHS 111

Common mistakes to avoid

FAQ

Related guides

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