Urgent Repeat Medicine Supply

If you run out of medicine outside of your GP surgery’s normal opening hours and need some urgently, there are a few ways to get an emergency supply quickly, even if you’re away from home.

Pharmacies

You’ll be assessed by the pharmacist to find out:

• if you need the medicine immediately
• who previously prescribed the medicine (to make sure they’re a trusted source)
• what dose of the medicine would be appropriate for you to take

The pharmacist needs to know the answers to all of these questions before they can supply a prescription-only medicine without a prescription in an emergency. They will keep a record of your details, the medicine they provide and the nature of the emergency.

If the pharmacist is not satisfied that the medicine and dose is appropriate for you, they may not supply the medicine.

The pharmacist may provide an emergency supply of up to 30 days’ treatment for most prescription medicines, with these exceptions:

• insulin, an ointment, a cream or an asthma inhaler – only the smallest pack size will be supplied
• the contraceptive pill – only enough for a full treatment cycle will be supplied
• liquid oral antibiotics – only the smallest quantity to provide a full course of treatment will be supplied

Only a limited range of controlled medicines can be prescribed in an emergency, such as those for epilepsy (phenobarbital). Many commonly used controlled medicines, such as morphine or diamorphine, cannot be supplied without a prescription by a pharmacist in an emergency.