024 7627 5891 NHS online pharmacy — delivering across England and Wales
Home / Ordering around bank holidays
20 July 2026

Ordering around bank holidays

Bank holidays cause more medicine shortages than anything else in the calendar, and always for the same reason: the surgery is shut, the post isn't running, and everyone orders at once when things reopen.

How far ahead to order

Ten days is usually enough. Two weeks is safer over Christmas and the New Year, when surgeries can be closed for several working days in a row.

If you need help while we're closed

  • Call NHS 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk for urgent advice and the nearest open pharmacy
  • Call 999 in an emergency

Our current hours are in the footer of every page on this site, and we post any changes here first.

Back to all posts