Emergency Supply of Medication
Run Out of Your Regular Medicine? We Can Help
It happens — a repeat prescription is delayed, you are away from home, or the surgery is closed over a bank holiday. If you have run out of a medicine you take regularly, come and speak to us at Bloomsbury Pharmacy. In many cases our pharmacist can supply enough to keep you going.
How It Works
There are two routes to an urgent supply, and the pharmacist will tell you which one applies to you.
1. NHS referral through NHS 111
If you contact NHS 111 and they agree you need an urgent supply, they can refer you directly to us. Where you are referred this way, the medicine is provided on the NHS and the usual prescription charge rules apply — so if you do not normally pay for prescriptions, you will not pay for this.
2. At the pharmacist's discretion
You can also simply come in and ask. The pharmacist will need to be satisfied that:
- the medicine has been prescribed for you before;
- there is a genuine, immediate need for it;
- and they can establish the correct dose.
Bringing your repeat slip, the box or an old label, or having your medicine listed in the NHS App, makes this much quicker. A supply made this way is a private service and a charge applies.
3. What we cannot supply
There are limits, and they exist for good reason. Most controlled drugs cannot be supplied as an emergency, and the pharmacist cannot supply a medicine you have never been prescribed. If we are unable to help, we will explain why and point you to the right service — your GP, NHS 111, or an out-of-hours provider.
To avoid the situation altogether, consider ordering through us and letting us manage your repeats — see our repeat prescriptions service.
Why Choose Bloomsbury Pharmacy?
- Same day: in most cases you walk out with what you need.
- NHS route available: referrals from NHS 111 are supplied on the NHS.
- Local pharmacist: a real conversation with someone who can access your record where available.
- Honest advice: if we cannot supply it, we will tell you exactly who can.
Need Something Urgently?
Call us or come in and speak to the pharmacist. If you are contacting NHS 111, ask them to refer you to Bloomsbury Pharmacy and we will take it from there.
How we can help
