If you run out of medicine outside of your GP practice'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.

If you already have a prescription and urgently need the medicine, try the following steps:

If you don't have a prescription

If you run out of prescription medicine and don't have a prescription with you, you should be able to get an emergency supply from a pharmacy without a prescription.

It's a good idea to take an old prescription or the medicine's packaging with you, if you have it.

Pharmacies

You'll be interviewed 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 will need to know the answers to all of these questions before they can supply a prescription-only medicine without a prescription in an emergency.

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

You may need to pay for this service and your medicine, even if you don't normally, because they're being provided without a prescription. This may vary between pharmacies.

Find a local pharmacy, including its opening hours.

GPs and walk-in centres

If you run out of medicine while you're away from home, you may be able to have a consultation with a local GP and get a prescription for a limited supply of medicines. You'd then need to find a pharmacy that's open.

Or, you could go to an NHS walk-in centre. They may be able to organise a GP consultation. In some cases, they can give you medicine after you've seen a nurse.

Some walk-in centres are open from early morning to late evening seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Find a walk-in centre near you.