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In England, electronic prescriptions are the normal route, but paper prescriptions still matter when a service cannot use its electronic workflow, when clinical circumstances require paper, or when continuity arrangements are activated. The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) sends a prescription from the prescriber to a nominated dispenser. You may access it through your chosen pharmacy, an NHS App barcode where supported, or another pharmacy when no dispenser has been nominated. If you have run out, do not wait for a routine repeat: use NHS 111 online or call 111, because a pharmacy may be able to make a limited emergency supply and a charge can apply.
This guide is England-specific unless a section is explicitly labelled otherwise. Prescription rules vary by medicine, service and country, and no patient is guaranteed a paper form or a particular emergency supply.
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A paper prescription is a physical form, while an electronic prescription is a digitally transmitted prescription record. In England, EPS is the default for most prescriptions, but paper remains an exception and a continuity option rather than a universally available alternative.
| Aspect | Electronic prescription (EPS) | Paper prescription |
|---|---|---|
| How it moves | Sent electronically from the prescriber to a dispenser, normally the patient’s nominated pharmacy. | Printed on an approved prescription form, such as an FP10 in relevant NHS services, and taken to a dispenser. |
| What the patient needs | Usually a nominated pharmacy; where no pharmacy is chosen, a digital prescription barcode can be taken to a pharmacy. An NHS App account can show supported prescription information. | The physical form and the pharmacy able to dispense it. A smartphone is not inherently required. |
| Typical role in England | Routine default. NHS England Digital reports that over 95% of prescriptions are produced electronically; that is an attributed service statistic, not a guarantee for every prescription or patient. | Used by exception for clinical need, business continuity or service-specific circumstances. It is not an option that every patient can demand in every situation. |
| When access fails | The pharmacy or prescriber may need to wait for restoration, arrange a later supply, request an emergency supply, use a paper FP10 where appropriate, or refer you elsewhere. | Can provide a physical fallback when the responsible service can safely issue one, but printing, stationery, prescriber availability and medicine rules still matter. |
EPS is a prescription workflow service, not a clinical prescribing system. The prescriber still decides whether and what to prescribe; EPS determines how the authorised prescription is delivered to the dispenser.
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How do I access an electronic prescription in England?
The right route depends on whether you have a nominated pharmacy, whether the prescription is supported by the NHS App, and whether the problem is your device or the pharmacy’s connection.
If you have a nominated pharmacy
The prescription is sent to that pharmacy. NHS guidance says a chosen-pharmacy prescription usually takes three to five days to be ready to collect. This is a normal preparation estimate, not a promise that every item will be in stock or that an urgent prescription will be ready immediately.
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If you have not chosen a pharmacy
You can take the prescription’s digital barcode to a pharmacy that dispenses NHS prescriptions. The pharmacy retrieves the electronic prescription from the service. A barcode is therefore one access route, not proof that every prescription must be accessed through a phone.
If you use the NHS App
For prescriptions supported by the app, status labels can include preparing, ready, cancelled or collected. NHS tracking is being introduced gradually, so two patients may see different tracking features and a prescription may not display the same status in every case. The app help also says photo identification may be requested for some medicines.
If you cannot use the app
Contact the nominated pharmacy and explain that you cannot access the app. If no pharmacy was nominated, ask the prescriber or dispensing pharmacy how the barcode or prescription can be made available without relying on your handset. Do not assume that reinstalling the app will solve a pharmacy-side EPS outage.
What should I do if I have run out of medicine?
If missing the next dose could put you at risk, use an urgent route rather than waiting for the routine repeat process. NHS guidance lists several routes, and the choice depends on the medicine, your circumstances and local availability.
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- Use NHS 111 online or call 111. Tell the service that you have run out and cannot wait for the usual prescription process. NHS 111 may direct you to a pharmacy or another urgent service.
- Ask a pharmacy about an emergency supply. Pharmacies can supply certain emergency medicines without a new prescription, but this is limited and a charge may apply. The pharmacist decides whether the legal and clinical conditions are met.
- Contact your GP surgery or its out-of-hours service. The prescriber may be able to issue an urgent EPS prescription or request an emergency supply from a pharmacy.
- Use an urgent treatment centre when advised. This is an alternative listed by the NHS for urgent prescription problems when appropriate.
- Go to A&E for an emergency. Use emergency care when your condition is immediately serious, not simply because a routine repeat is delayed.
Have the medicine packet or dispensing label available if possible, including the name, strength and directions. Tell the service when you took the last dose, which pharmacy normally dispenses it and whether there are safety concerns. These details help the clinician or pharmacist assess urgency, but they do not guarantee a supply.
Can I still get a paper prescription?
Sometimes, but paper is not an automatic right or a universal backup. NHS England guidance for the relevant community pharmacy prescribing services says EPS should be the default, with paper used by exception for clinical need or business continuity. The responsible prescriber or service must decide whether a paper form is appropriate.
When paper may be considered
- An EPS or patient-information disruption prevents safe electronic access.
- The clinical setting or the patient’s circumstances make paper safer or more workable.
- A GP practice can issue an FP10 and the prescription is suitable for that route.
- A service’s continuity plan specifies a paper process during an outage.
Why a paper request may not solve the problem
- The prescriber may be unavailable or unable to verify the medicine safely.
- The medicine or prescribing service may have rules that limit the route.
- The pharmacy may still need to order stock or check the prescription.
- Printing, secure stationery and local procedures may be unavailable during a wider incident.
Ask the pharmacy or prescriber what contingency they can use instead of insisting on paper. The practical alternatives may be a later collection, delivery after restoration, an emergency supply or referral to another pharmacy.
What can a pharmacy do when an EPS prescription cannot be accessed?
Community Pharmacy England guidance updated 22 July 2026 says the pharmacy team should use professional judgement, focusing on patient safety and urgency. The failure may be local to one branch, affect the connection between the pharmacy and EPS, or be part of a wider service incident.
| Possible response | When it may fit | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Ask you to return later | The medicine can safely wait and the outage is expected to be short. | Agree when to check again; do not use this route if delaying treatment is unsafe. |
| Arrange delivery after restoration | The pharmacy can prepare and deliver once systems or access return. | Confirm the delivery address, timing and what to do if your supply runs out first. |
| Request an emergency supply from the prescriber | You need medicine urgently and the pharmacist cannot lawfully or safely supply it from existing information. | The prescriber must respond, and the medicine may still require checks or payment under applicable rules. |
| Request a paper FP10 from the GP practice | A paper prescription is suitable and the practice can issue one. | This is a contingency route, not a guaranteed replacement for every EPS prescription. |
| Refer you to another pharmacy | Another dispenser can access the prescription or has stock, and the transfer is practical. | The receiving pharmacy may need to confirm the prescription’s status and availability before dispensing. |
The team should first establish whether you have already missed doses or can wait, then identify which part of the system is failing. A national outage, a branch network problem and a missing barcode are different incidents and can require different actions.
How can I tell whether the problem is my app, the pharmacy or EPS?
Work through the access point in order. This avoids spending time troubleshooting a phone when the prescription is actually waiting at a nominated pharmacy, or asking for paper when an urgent clinical route is needed.
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- Check the nominated pharmacy. Confirm the prescription was sent there and ask whether the branch can see it in its dispensing system.
- Check the app or barcode. If the app shows no status, remember that tracking is being introduced gradually. Ask the pharmacy or prescriber to confirm the prescription rather than treating a blank screen as proof that it was never issued.
- Ask whether the issue is local or wider. Pharmacy staff can check their service status and escalation route. A different branch may not help if the national EPS service is affected, but it may help if only one connection or branch is down.
- Assess urgency. If you have medicine left and can wait, agree a follow-up time. If you have run out or cannot safely miss a dose, contact 111 or the prescriber immediately.
- Confirm the next action. Before leaving, establish whether you should return, expect delivery, contact the GP, visit another pharmacy or use an urgent service.
Keep the pharmacy’s instructions and any reference number. If the promised recovery time passes, call back with the exact medicine and prescription details rather than restarting the conversation without context.
How long should a routine repeat prescription take?
NHS guidance says to allow five working days to request a repeat prescription and receive the medicine. That is a planning allowance for routine requests, not a same-day guarantee and not a reason to delay urgent help.
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|---|---|---|
| Routine repeat request | Allow five working days to request and receive the repeat medicine. | Order before the supply is exhausted and allow extra time for weekends, stock issues or local processing. |
| Prescription sent to a chosen pharmacy | Usually three to five days before it is ready to collect. | Check with the pharmacy if it is not ready after that period, but seek urgent advice if you have run out. |
| Urgent or emergency need | No routine waiting period applies. | Use NHS 111, the GP or out-of-hours service, an urgent treatment centre or a pharmacy emergency-supply assessment as appropriate. |
What backup arrangements should prescription services maintain?
NHS England Digital advises services to maintain continuity plans for EPS and patient-information disruption. Recommended preparations include keeping prescription printers working, retaining FP10 stationery as a backup and subscribing to EPS service alerts.
Tools that support continuity
- Prescription Tracker: helps services check where a prescription is in the electronic workflow.
- Service-status updates: help distinguish a local technical fault from a wider incident.
- Summary Care Record: can support safe decision-making when normal prescription information is difficult to retrieve, subject to authorised access and clinical use.
- Escalation plans: define who contacts the prescriber, how an emergency supply is requested and when another pharmacy is used.
These are service tools, not patient self-service guarantees. A tracker cannot authorise a medicine, and a printed FP10 cannot be issued without an appropriate prescriber decision.
What should I do before leaving the pharmacy during an outage?
Do not leave with only a vague instruction to come back later. Ask four specific questions:
- Is my prescription visible, pending, cancelled or unavailable?
- Is the fault limited to this branch, or is EPS affected more broadly?
- What is the exact next step: return, delivery, emergency supply, paper FP10, another pharmacy or 111?
- At what time should I call or return if nothing changes?
If you are responsible for a child, an older person or someone who cannot communicate easily, explain that person’s last dose and immediate risk clearly. If the medicine has special storage or administration requirements, tell the pharmacy before accepting a delayed collection or delivery arrangement.
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What mistakes commonly delay access?
Waiting for a routine repeat after the medicine has run out
Five working days is a routine planning estimate. Once you have run out, switch to NHS 111 or another urgent route instead of repeatedly submitting the same request.
Assuming a blank NHS App screen means no prescription exists
App tracking is being introduced gradually. Confirm with the pharmacy or prescriber because the electronic prescription may exist even when the app does not show a useful status.
Assuming every pharmacy can see every prescription
A nominated pharmacy normally receives the EPS prescription. If no pharmacy was chosen, a barcode can be taken to a pharmacy; during an outage, another branch may or may not be able to access the item.
Treating paper as an automatic entitlement
Paper is an exception or continuity route in England. The prescriber and service must decide whether an FP10 is suitable, and the pharmacy still has to dispense it safely.
Ignoring charges
An emergency medicine supplied without a prescription may involve a charge. Ask the pharmacy about cost before accepting the supply, while prioritising urgent clinical advice when delay is unsafe.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the Australian paper option show?
Australia provides a separate example, not a rule for England. Australian Government policy says electronic prescribing is becoming the standard while paper remains available when needed, including when a person lacks a mobile device or clinical safety requires paper. Its Active Script List is a token-management service that can hold electronic prescriptions and display barcoded paper prescriptions, and rollout is staged.
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What is known—and not known—about paper versus electronic safety?
The available official guidance explains access routes, outage preparation and timing, but it does not provide a verified study comparing patient outcomes, error rates, loss rates or satisfaction for paper and electronic prescriptions. It would be misleading to claim that one format is universally safer or faster for every patient.
The practical distinction is operational: EPS can remove the need to carry a form and can let a nominated pharmacy receive the prescription directly, while paper can preserve access when electronic systems, devices or patient circumstances make digital retrieval impractical. Clinical safety still depends on the prescriber, pharmacist, medicine and information available at the time.
Which route should I use?
Use the following decision rule:
| Your situation | Best first action in England | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You have medicine left and the request is routine | Submit the repeat request and allow up to five working days. | Routine processing is different from urgent supply. |
| The NHS App does not show a status | Ask the nominated pharmacy or prescriber to confirm the prescription. | Tracking is being introduced gradually. |
| You have run out and cannot safely wait | Use NHS 111 online or call 111. | Urgent options may include a pharmacy referral or emergency supply. |
| The pharmacy cannot access EPS | Ask which contingency is available: later collection, delivery, prescriber-requested emergency supply, paper FP10 or another pharmacy. | The correct response depends on urgency and the part of the system affected. |
| You have a life-threatening emergency | Call emergency services or go to A&E. | Prescription troubleshooting must not delay emergency care. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I have ready when I contact NHS 111 about a missing prescription?
Keep the medicine packaging or dispensing label nearby and note the strength, directions, last dose, usual pharmacy and prescriber. Explain any immediate symptoms or risk from missing the medicine; the adviser will decide which urgent service is appropriate.
What if the NHS App says my prescription was collected but I did not receive it?
Contact the dispensing pharmacy promptly and ask it to check the dispensing record and collection details. If you still have no medicine and cannot safely miss a dose, tell NHS 111 or the prescriber that the app status conflicts with what happened.
Can a different pharmacy dispense my prescription during an outage?
Sometimes, but it depends on whether the prescription can be accessed, whether the receiving pharmacy has stock and whether the transfer or referral is practical. Ask the original pharmacy to coordinate rather than assuming another branch can retrieve the item.
Are paper prescriptions available in every country?
No. Paper and electronic rules are set by each jurisdiction, medicine category and service. Australia’s staged policy retains paper in specified circumstances, but that example does not determine eligibility in England or elsewhere.
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