How to Order Repeat Prescriptions Online

If you take regular medicine, the simplest way to keep it coming is to order your repeat prescription online, well before you run low. The NHS App lets you order repeat prescriptions and nominate a pharmacy of your choice, and it is free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week¹. Your GP surgery may also offer online ordering through its own website³.

The single most useful habit is timing. Request prescriptions up to 5 working days before you need your medicine, and order in good time before bank holidays or periods of severe weather⁴. If you are in Scotland, some practices ask you to allow seven days between ordering and collecting⁶.

If you have already run out, do not go without. NHS 111 online can request a limited emergency supply of a medicine you have completely run out of, and a pharmacist may be able to help too⁷. The sections below take each of these in turn.

Setting up online access through the NHS App or your GP surgery

There are two main routes to ordering online, and most households will find one of them straightforward. The first is the NHS App. With full access you can order repeat prescriptions and nominate a pharmacy of your choice, so your medicine is sent where you want to collect it¹. The App is free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it also lets you book winter vaccines, find NHS services and view your GP health record². It is widely used: 6.35 million prescriptions were ordered through the App in October 2025 alone¹⁰.

The second route is your GP surgery's own online services. GP surgeries offer online services where you can book routine appointments, order repeat prescriptions and access your medical record via the internet³. Some surgeries provide a separate phone number or an online ordering facility for repeat prescriptions, so check your own surgery's website for details¹¹.

Whichever you choose, set it up before you need it, not on the day your last tablet runs out. If you are not sure what your surgery offers, its website is the place to check¹¹. For more on keeping a steady supply, see Keeping Enough Prescription Medicine at Home.

Order early before bank holidays and severe weather

Pharmacies and GP practices close for holidays, and bad weather can delay deliveries and collections. The advice from NHS organisations is consistent: order repeat prescriptions in good time, particularly before bank holidays or periods of severe weather⁵. Ordering in advance over the winter period saves time, minimises delays and ensures you do not run out².

A few practical rules make this easier:

• Request prescriptions up to 5 working days before you need your medicine⁴.
• Order prescriptions in advance of any bank holidays¹.
• Keep up to date with any repeat prescriptions you or your family or friends need, especially ahead of weekends and bank holidays¹².
• Plan ahead, only order what you need, and pick up your prescription before any holiday closures¹⁴.
• Make sure you have enough medication and keep any repeat prescriptions safe¹⁵.

In Scotland, the guidance can be more specific. GP surgeries in NHS Tayside say the last day for ordering repeat prescriptions before Christmas is 15 December, and ask patients to allow seven days between ordering and collecting⁶. That is a local deadline, so check your own practice's dates rather than assuming.

If you help an older neighbour or relative, make sure they get any prescription medicines before the holiday period starts and if bad weather is forecast¹⁷. The same applies to anyone you care for who relies on regular medicine.

Getting urgent medicine when you have run out

If you have run out of prescribed medicine and need some urgently, there are a few ways to get an emergency supply, including out of hours⁸. The main route is NHS 111 online. Use the emergency prescription service to request a limited emergency supply of a medicine you have completely run out of⁷. NHS 111 online does not issue a prescription, but sends a request to a local pharmacy for a limited supply of medicine until you can organise your regular repeat prescription¹⁹. It can also tell you where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine and how to get a repeat prescription²⁰.

The service asks some questions, including where you are and when you are due to take your medicine, so it can suggest the best option⁸. People can get an emergency supply of regularly prescribed medicine for someone of any age on NHS 111 online¹⁹. If your medicine is not prescribed as a repeat prescription, you can get help from 111 online or call 111 to discuss your options⁸.

A pharmacist may also be able to help. Pharmacists can help with minor illnesses and also give you an emergency supply of some medicines if you have run out²¹. In Wales, if you run out of prescription medicine and do not have a prescription with you, you may be able to obtain an emergency supply from a pharmacist; take an old prescription, repeat slip or the medicine packaging if you have it²². If you already have a prescription and urgently need the medicine, you can get it from any pharmacy as long as they have it in stock, and some pharmacies are open until midnight or later, even on public holidays²³.

If your GP practice is closed, there are still ways to get an emergency supply²⁵. For more detail, see Running Out of Prescribed Medicine: Emergency Supplies From a Pharmacy and NHS 111: What It Can Help With and How to Use It.

Ordering for someone you care for

If you look after a relative, neighbour or friend who relies on regular medicine, you can often help them order and collect. Some GP practices let a carer order on someone's behalf, and the NHS App allows proxy access so you can act for another person; ask the surgery what it needs from you. If the person you care for is reliant on regular prescription medication, you could sign up to a repeat prescription delivery service²⁶.

A few things make caring for someone's medicines safer:

• Keep an up-to-date list of their medication and repeat prescription, including allergies, with their essentials⁹.
• Make sure they get any prescription medicines before the holiday period starts and if bad weather is forecast¹⁷.
• Check their surgery's opening times during public holidays so you can order and collect in plenty of time¹⁶.

For more on supporting someone who needs extra help, see Extra Help in an Emergency: Older, Disabled and Medically Dependent Households and Checklist for Caring for Someone Ill at Home.

Keeping a list and taking medicine when you travel

An up-to-date list of your medication and repeat prescription, with any allergies, is one of the most useful things you can keep⁹. It helps if you need urgent care, if someone else is collecting medicine for you, or if you have to see an unfamiliar clinician. Store it with your essentials and update it whenever your prescription changes.

If you are planning a long trip, take any medication you need with you and a copy of your repeat prescription¹⁵. Order in advance so you have enough before you go, and check pharmacy opening times at your destination if you will need to collect anything while away²². For over-the-counter medicines you take, follow the advice on the pack¹⁶.

Where to get help

If you are unsure how to order, start with your GP surgery's website or reception¹¹. If you have run out and need medicine urgently, use the NHS 111 online emergency prescription service or call 111⁷. For general health advice and to find services, NHS 111 online can help²⁰. For more on which service to use, see NHS 111: What It Can Help With and How to Use It and When to Call 111 and When to Call 999.