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In England, electronic prescriptions are the usual route: a prescriber sends one to your nominated pharmacy, and the NHS App may let you check its status. If you cannot access a prescription or have run out of medicine, you still have options—but an app problem does not automatically mean a paper prescription is available. The right next step depends on how urgently you need the medicine, where the prescription was sent, and whether the problem is with your phone, pharmacy or the prescription service.
What is the difference between a paper and an electronic prescription?
A paper prescription is a physical document used to authorize the supply of prescribed medicine. An electronic prescription transfers the prescription information digitally from a prescriber to a dispenser, usually the pharmacy chosen by the patient. In England, that transfer is handled through the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).
EPS is a prescription workflow service, not a clinical prescribing system: the clinician still makes the prescribing decision. The digital route changes how the prescription reaches the dispenser, not who decides what medicine is appropriate. NHS England Digital says more than 95% of prescriptions in England are produced electronically. That is a service statistic, not a guarantee that every prescription or patient uses EPS.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor patients, the practical difference is often about access. With an electronic prescription, there may be no paper document to carry to the pharmacy. The prescription is sent to a nominated pharmacy, and the NHS App may show progress for supported prescriptions. A paper route can still be used in particular circumstances, but it is not a universal fallback that every patient can demand whenever a phone or pharmacy system fails.
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What the patient sees—and what happens behind the scenes
- Patient access: You may use the NHS App to view prescription information or status, or take a digital prescription barcode to a pharmacy if you have not nominated one for that prescription.
- Pharmacy access: The pharmacy needs to retrieve the electronic prescription through the service. A phone, app or barcode issue is different from a pharmacy connection failure or a wider EPS disruption.
- Paper contingency: A prescriber or pharmacy may use a paper option where appropriate, including for some service or continuity needs. The availability and suitability of that option depend on the circumstances.
The format is therefore only one part of the process. A prescription can exist electronically even when the app is unavailable, while a paper form still requires a prescriber to issue it and a dispenser to process it. Neither format guarantees that the medicine is immediately in stock.
How do I collect an electronic prescription without the NHS App?
You do not always need the NHS App to collect medicine prescribed through EPS. If the prescription was sent to a pharmacy you chose, the pharmacy should be the first place to check. If you did not choose one, NHS guidance says you can take the digital prescription barcode to any pharmacy.
The NHS App is one way to view supported prescription information, not the prescription system itself. An inability to open the app does not by itself establish that the pharmacy cannot access the prescription. Contact the pharmacy and explain whether you know where the prescription was sent and whether you have any barcode or other prescription information. Ask the pharmacy to check whether it can retrieve the prescription and what it needs from you.
A barcode is useful when you have one, but do not assume that every prescription requires you to display it in the app. The pharmacy may be able to locate a prescription sent to its nominated dispenser using its normal EPS process. The pharmacy will tell you if it needs additional information or if the prescription was sent elsewhere.
Check the destination before making another trip
If you nominated a pharmacy, confirm that it is the one holding the prescription. A prescription sent to a different pharmacy may not be available at the counter you visit. If you are unsure, check the prescription details available to you or contact the prescriber or pharmacy rather than assuming the prescription was sent to the nearest branch.
For supported prescriptions, the NHS App can show labels such as “preparing,” “ready,” “cancelled” or “collected.” NHS says prescription tracking is being introduced gradually, so not everyone or every prescription will have the same tracking experience. Treat the app as a useful status view where available, not as a definitive way to establish that every prescription is ready.
Allow time for routine repeats
The NHS advises allowing five working days to request and receive a repeat prescription. It also says that a prescription sent to a chosen pharmacy usually takes 3–5 days to be ready to collect. These are routine planning estimates, not a same-day promise for an individual pharmacy or a reason to wait if you have already run out and cannot safely go without the medicine.
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Request repeats early enough to allow for both stages: the prescriber’s processing time and the pharmacy’s preparation time. If a weekend, bank holiday or stock issue affects the pharmacy, the estimate may not match your preferred collection date. Ask the pharmacy when it expects the item to be ready and what to do if that estimate changes.
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If you are collecting medicine for someone else, the NHS App help says a pharmacy may ask for photo identification for some medicines. Check with the pharmacy if you need to know what identification it will require in your situation. Requirements can differ according to the medicine and the circumstances.
What should I do if I have run out of a prescription medicine?
If you have run out of a repeat medicine and cannot wait for the usual process, use NHS 111 online or call 111 to discuss urgent options. NHS 111 may direct you to a pharmacy. The correct response depends on the medicine and your circumstances, so do not assume an emergency supply is available for every medicine.
- Decide whether it can wait safely. If missing a dose could put your health at risk or you are unsure, seek urgent advice rather than relying on the routine repeat timetable.
- Contact NHS 111 online or by phone. Explain what medicine you need, that you have run out, and when you last took it. Follow the route you are given.
- Contact the pharmacy or prescriber if directed. A pharmacy may be able to provide certain emergency medicines without a prescription, but it will decide whether that is appropriate. A charge may apply.
- Use an appropriate urgent care service if advised. NHS guidance also identifies an urgent treatment centre and the GP surgery or its out-of-hours service as possible routes. A&E is for emergencies.
Have the medicine name, strength, dose and usual pharmacy details available if you can. This helps the service understand what you need, but it does not guarantee supply. If the pharmacy cannot provide an emergency medicine, ask the pharmacist or NHS 111 what safe alternative route is available.
Do not treat a pharmacy’s ability to supply some emergency medicines as a general entitlement to obtain any prescription medicine without a prescription. The medicine, available information and clinical circumstances matter. If one route cannot help, ask the professional or service you contact what the safe next step is.
What happens if the pharmacy cannot access an electronic prescription?
A pharmacy may be unable to retrieve an EPS prescription because of a local connection problem, a wider service disruption, a prescription that has not arrived, or a mismatch about where it was sent. Pharmacy teams should use professional judgement, taking account of urgency and patient safety; there is no single response that fits every case.
Community Pharmacy England’s guidance, updated 22 July 2026, describes several possible steps when an EPS prescription cannot be obtained. Depending on the patient’s circumstances, the pharmacy may ask the person to return later, arrange delivery after service is restored, seek an emergency supply at the prescriber’s request, request a paper FP10 prescription from the GP practice where appropriate, or refer the person to another pharmacy if that is practical.
These options are not interchangeable. Waiting may be reasonable for a routine item when you have enough medicine. Delivery may help someone who cannot return once the system is restored. An emergency supply involves a prescriber or pharmacist assessing whether it is lawful and clinically suitable. A paper FP10 requires the GP practice or another appropriate prescriber to issue it. Referral to another pharmacy may help with a local problem but may not help during a national EPS disruption.
Useful questions to establish what has failed
- Is the medicine needed urgently? Tell the pharmacy if you have run out or cannot safely wait. Urgency can affect which option is appropriate.
- Is the issue with your access or the pharmacy’s access? A missing phone, inaccessible app or unavailable barcode is not the same as a pharmacy system that cannot retrieve any EPS prescriptions.
- Was the prescription sent to this pharmacy? Confirm the nominated destination, or whether you were given a barcode for a pharmacy you can choose.
- Is the disruption local or broader? The pharmacy may need to establish whether its own connection, a particular system component or the wider EPS service is affected.
- What is the next safe step? Ask whether to wait and return, contact the prescriber, use an urgent route or go to another pharmacy. Do not assume that travelling elsewhere will solve a wider service problem.
The pharmacy’s answer may change as systems recover or the prescriber becomes available. If you are asked to return later, clarify when to check again and what to do if the medicine is needed before then. If the situation becomes urgent, contact NHS 111 rather than relying only on an estimated restoration time.
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Can I get a paper prescription in England?
Paper prescriptions remain an option in some circumstances in England, but they are not guaranteed as a patient-controlled backup for every electronic prescription problem. NHS England guidance for the community pharmacy prescribing services it covers says EPS should be the default, with paper used by exception for clinical need or business continuity.
That guidance is specific to the services it addresses. It should not be read as a rule that every prescription must be electronic, nor as a promise that every patient can insist on paper in any circumstance. When a pharmacy cannot access an EPS prescription, a paper FP10 from the GP practice is one possible response where appropriate; the pharmacy and prescriber need to determine whether that route fits the situation.
Paper can be useful when a digital route is unsuitable or disrupted, but it is not automatically faster. A paper prescription still needs to be issued through an appropriate clinical process and presented to a dispenser. If you need medicine urgently, describe the urgency and ask what route is safe and available rather than delaying care while trying to obtain a particular format.
What an FP10 does—and does not do
FP10 is the paper prescription stationery used in relevant NHS prescribing settings in England. It is issued by an authorized prescriber or service; patients cannot create one, print an electronic prescription onto one, or use a blank form to authorize supply. The pharmacy must still receive and process the valid prescription, and the prescriber must decide that issuing it is appropriate.
Paper may also be used for clinical need or continuity in the specific services covered by NHS England guidance. That does not make paper a general workaround for a forgotten password, a dead phone or a pharmacy that has not yet prepared a routine item. Start by asking the pharmacy or prescriber which route is available for your circumstances.
How do pharmacies prepare for an EPS outage?
NHS England Digital advises services to maintain continuity plans for disruption to EPS or patient information. Its recommendations include keeping prescription printers maintained, retaining FP10 paper stationery as a backup, and subscribing to EPS service alerts. These preparations help services respond; they do not mean that a patient can print or convert an electronic prescription themselves.
Services can also use tools and information sources that support continuity and safe decisions, including the Prescription Tracker, NHS Digital service-status updates and the Summary Care Record. Each has a different role: status information can help identify an outage, prescription tracking can help check a prescription’s progress, and patient-record information can support care decisions when normal information access is disrupted.
What a patient can reasonably ask during disruption
- Has the pharmacy confirmed that the prescription was sent to it?
- Is the problem limited to this pharmacy, or is there a wider service issue?
- Can the pharmacy give an expected time to check again, or arrange another practical option?
- If I cannot safely wait, should I contact the prescriber, NHS 111 or another service now?
These questions help distinguish a delayed routine collection from a problem that needs urgent action. They do not replace the pharmacy’s or clinician’s judgement about supply.
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A simple decision path for patients
First, identify urgency. If you still have enough medicine to wait, ask the pharmacy for a realistic collection or delivery time and follow up if that time passes. If you have run out or cannot safely miss doses, use NHS 111 online or call 111 rather than waiting for an app status to change.
Next, identify the access point that failed. If only your app or phone is unavailable, contact the nominated pharmacy. If the pharmacy cannot retrieve any EPS prescriptions, ask whether the issue is local or wider and whether it has a continuity procedure. If the prescription was sent to the wrong destination, contact the prescriber or pharmacy about the appropriate correction; simply visiting another branch may not move the prescription.
Finally, agree the next action and its timing. “Come back later” should include when to return or call. “Contact the GP” should include whether the request is urgent and which service is available. If the plan no longer protects your treatment, call NHS 111 again or use emergency care when directed.
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How does the paper option differ outside England?
Prescription rules are country-specific, so England’s NHS and EPS processes should not be assumed to apply elsewhere. Australia provides one distinct example: the Australian Government says electronic prescribing is to become the standard way to prescribe under its policy, while paper remains available when needed, such as when a person has no mobile device or clinical safety requires paper.
Australia’s policy describes the Active Script List as a token-management service that can hold electronic prescriptions and show barcoded paper prescriptions; the government says its rollout is staged. This illustrates a different national approach, not a universal rule and not a guide to access in the United States or other countries. If you are outside England, check your own health service or pharmacy regulator for local emergency-supply and paper-prescription rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for routine timing after running out: Five working days is a planning estimate, not advice to go without medicine. Use NHS 111 when you cannot safely wait.
- Assuming the NHS App is required: The pharmacy may be able to retrieve a prescription sent to it without your app being available.
- Assuming a barcode guarantees supply: A barcode identifies an electronic prescription; it does not confirm that the item is in stock or ready.
- Demanding paper as an automatic right: Paper FP10 use depends on the service, clinical need, continuity arrangements and prescriber decision.
- Changing pharmacies without checking: A different pharmacy may not hold the prescription, and a wider EPS outage may affect it too.
- Assuming an emergency supply is free or universal: Some pharmacies can supply certain medicines without a prescription, and a charge may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick up a prescription at a different pharmacy in England?
If you have not chosen a pharmacy for an electronic prescription, NHS guidance says you can take its digital barcode to any pharmacy. If you nominated a pharmacy, check with the prescriber or pharmacy about whether the destination can be changed; do not assume another pharmacy already has the prescription.
Does an electronic prescription mean the pharmacy has the medicine in stock?
No. A prescription being sent or marked ready is not the same as confirmation that every prescribed item is physically available. Contact the pharmacy to check collection arrangements, particularly if a delay would affect your treatment.
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A pharmacy may allow another person to collect, but requirements can vary by medicine and circumstance. Ask the pharmacy in advance what information or identification it needs; NHS App guidance notes photo ID may be requested for some medicines.
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What is an FP10 prescription?
FP10 is the paper prescription stationery used in relevant NHS prescribing settings in England. It is a possible service backup in appropriate circumstances, not a form patients can use to create or authorize a prescription themselves.
What if I cannot open the NHS App?
Contact the pharmacy that was nominated for the prescription and explain the problem. The app is an access and status tool; the pharmacy may still be able to retrieve the electronic prescription through EPS. If you did not nominate a pharmacy and have a barcode, NHS guidance says you can take it to any pharmacy.
How long should a repeat prescription take?
The NHS advises allowing five working days to request and receive a repeat prescription. A prescription sent to a chosen pharmacy usually takes 3–5 days to be ready. These are routine estimates, not guarantees, and urgent needs should be discussed with NHS 111.
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Depending on urgency and patient safety, it may ask you to return later, arrange delivery after recovery, seek an emergency supply at the prescriber’s request, request a paper FP10 from the GP practice where appropriate, or refer you to another pharmacy.
Can a pharmacy give me medicine without a prescription?
Some pharmacies can supply certain emergency medicines without a prescription, but the pharmacist must decide whether that is appropriate for the medicine and your circumstances. A charge may apply. NHS 111 can advise on urgent routes if you have run out.
Is paper prescribing being abolished?
Not completely. In England, NHS guidance allows paper by exception for clinical need or business continuity in the services it covers. Paper availability is not guaranteed for every electronic-prescription problem. Other countries have their own rules.
What should I do if the pharmacy says the prescription has not arrived?
Ask whether the issue is a delayed prescription, a wrong nominated destination or a wider EPS problem. Contact the prescriber or NHS 111 if you cannot safely wait, and follow the pharmacy’s advice about returning or using another route.
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In England, EPS is the normal route, but you are not limited to the NHS App. Check the nominated pharmacy, allow the NHS’s five-working-day routine window where possible, and use NHS 111 online or by phone if you have run out and cannot safely wait. During an EPS disruption, the pharmacy and prescriber may consider waiting, delivery, emergency supply, a paper FP10 or referral to another pharmacy. Paper is a contingency, not an automatic entitlement.
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