Emergency prescriptions
Run out of Medication? We can help!
Run out of your medication?
You may be able to access an urgent supply of your regular prescription medication if you are unable to obtain a prescription. This service can be accessed if you have run out of your medicines, lost or damaged your medicines.
In an emergency, in certain circumstances, a pharmacist can supply certain prescription only medicines (POMs) to a patient (who has previously been prescribed the requested POM) without a prescription at the request of the patient.
This Emergency Supply Service allows the supply of a medicine at NHS expense where the pharmacist assesses that the patient has immediate need for the medicine and that it is impractical to get a prescription without undue delay (such as when demand for urgent appointments is very high).
The Emergency Supply Service is available during the our normal opening hours including on Saturdays. The service is also available to temporary residents during these hours.
The NHS service requires you to “book” through either calling 111 or going online and requesting an emergency prescription. The pharmacist can also sell you the medication – but you will have to pay the full price as this would not be covered by the NHS. Only 111 referrals are covered by the NHS.
PLEASE NOTE: This service is not intended to replace the normal route for ordering medication and is for use in an emergency only. Repeated supplies are not allowed under this service.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the NHS service (through 111) If you are exempt from paying for your prescriptions then you will not be charged for the supply of urgent medicines. However if you do normally pay for your prescriptions you will be charged a prescription tax for each item.
If you are not using the NHS route you will have to pay the cost of the item. Please note that the NHS subsidises the cost of most medications and non-NHS supplies can sometimes be very expensive.
No, you will not need to obtain a prescription for the urgent supply of medicines. The pharmacist will provide a supply of up to 14 days of your medication without the need to order a prescription.
If you have run out of more than one of your medicines your pharmacist can give you a supply of more than one type of medicine.
You can use another pharmacy in circumstances where your regular pharmacy is closed or if you are away from home. You will need to provide evidence of your medication by producing either:
a recent copy of the repeat slip with repeat medicines on it or a recent box of medicines which they are running out of or in the case of a tray patient, an empty tray package. It is possible for the pharmacist to access your records with your permission, but only if you have enabled NHS data sharing with your GP surgery.
This will allow the pharmacist to make sure you are supplied with the correct medicine at the correct dose. Pharmacists must use their professional judgement to make sure that they supply the correct medication, if they are unable to ascertain exactly what is required they must not supply.
The service does not include the supply of certain types of medication such as strong pain killers and sleeping tablets. This is because they are classed as controlled drugs.
Examples of these drugs are; Morphine Sulphate Tablets, Oxycodone capsules, Fentanyl patches, Buprenorphine Tablets or patches, Temazepam, Tramadol etc.
If your not sure if your medication is a controlled drug check with the pharmacy team
This service does not include the supply of certain types of medication such as those which have to be specially made at the lab for you or items which do not have a normal medical licence for use to treat your medical condition.
Whilst we keep a large stock holding, we do not hold every available medication. Some medications are less common, some are very expensive and some are in short supply. Give us a call before coming in to check if we keep the item you need in stock.
You must obtain a prescription for items which are not included in the service as the emergency supply cannot be made under this service and your pharmacy will not be able to supply the item without a valid prescription.