Information about NHS prescriptions

If you need an emergency prescription, you should contact 111. Services are also available for people who live with hearing impairments or need support in another language.

If you need a one-off prescription urgently, you can also contact your GP for more advice.

Unless you’ve been prescribed a controlled drug, a prescription is only valid for 6 months. Your prescription will include at least one of the following dates:

• The date your GP or another healthcare professional issued it.
• The date before the dispenser can give you your prescription.

Pharmacies will hold onto your prescription for up to 14 days. To avoid running out of medicines that have been prescribed to you, try to pick them up at your earliest convenience.

Yes, as long as you let the pharmacy know, anyone can pick up a prescription on your behalf.

Sometimes, the person who collects your prescription may be asked for proof of identity. This is to prevent misuse and your prescription being incorrectly dispensed.

Prescriptions are prepared quickly. Yours can be ready within as little as 2 days. However, if you receive repeat prescriptions, you should allow up to 3 days for it to be sent to your nearest pharmacy.

If you sign up for text notifications or use our app, we can let you know when your prescription is ready to collect.

In England, prescriptions are issued electronically. This means that you can pick up your prescription from any pharmacy of your choice.

You can have your prescription delivered to the same pharmacy each time or you can select a pharmacy of your choice each time your prescription is due to be dispensed.