Publish date: 7 April 2025
As the Easter bank holidays are approaching, health officials in Lancashire and South Cumbria are urging people to get their repeat prescriptions in on time.
A lot of health services, including many pharmacies, will be closed over Easter weekend, or operating on different opening hours to normal. Often, this can lead to longer waits in the days leading up to a bank holiday, and pharmacies recommend that you order repeat prescriptions at least five days earlier than you usually would.
As Easter weekend is from Friday 18 April until Monday 21 April, it is recommended that people get their repeat prescriptions in by Thursday 10 April to ensure they can be processed and collected in time.
Dr Lindsey Dickinson, associate medical director for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: ”Keeping your medicine cabinet stocked up, with things like paracetamol, ibuprofen, anti-diarrhoea tablets, oral rehydration salts, cough and cold medicine, antihistamines, and indigestion medicine will ensure you can make the most of the Easter holidays without worrying where to access a pharmacy.
“Another useful thing you can do to prepare is to plan ahead for repeat prescriptions. Running out of your usual medication can have serious consequences, especially if you use them to control a heart condition, breathing problems or have a health condition such as diabetes. This can be avoided if people order any prescriptions that are due in advance and make sure they collect them ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
“We recommend you order your medication via your practice or through the NHS app by Friday 10 April.”
Bank holiday weekends typically see an increase in people contacting the NHS 111 service for emergency prescriptions because they are running out of medication. Last Easter, the service received more than double the number of calls from people across the North West who needed to order repeat prescriptions, 4,176 calls compared with 1,645 the previous weekend.
Pharmacies will have limited opening hours over Easter, and many will be closed on Good Friday 18 April, Easter Sunday 20 April and Easter Monday 21 April, making it more challenging for patients to access medicines at short notice. Waiting and using emergency or urgent services over the break can put added pressure on already busy NHS services.
As well as ordering repeat medications, the NHS App allows people to book and cancel appointments at their GP practice, view their health record and get health advice, searching trusted NHS information and advice on hundreds of conditions and treatments. Download the NHS App on the app store or on google play, and ensure you have notifications switched on in the app.
Over Easter all urgent and emergency care services will be open. The public should call 999 or attend accident and emergency services in the event of a life or limb threatening emergency. For non-emergency health advice the public can contact 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
