Pharmacies Open on Christmas Day - What You Need to Know

Are pharmacies open on Christmas Day?

The honest answer: most pharmacies are closed on Christmas Day (25 December). It is a bank holiday, and the standard position for community pharmacies in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is to close. That said, a small number will open — typically for reduced hours — and knowing which ones are on duty can make an urgent situation much less stressful.

Which pharmacies are most likely to be open?

The pharmacies most likely to open on Christmas Day are 100-hour pharmacies — those holding an NHS contract that requires them to open for at least 100 hours per week. These pharmacies (often found in supermarkets or major retail locations) are specifically commissioned to provide out-of-hours access and are the first port of call for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) when building their bank holiday rotas.

Each year, local ICBs publish a Christmas bank holiday rota that designates which pharmacies must be open and for which hours. Individual pharmacies can arrange swaps on the rota, so the list can change — always verify directly with the pharmacy before travelling.

Find a Pharmacy cross-references ICB-published rotas to show bank holiday availability in your area. Find an open pharmacy near you to see which pharmacies are on duty this Christmas.

What to do if you need urgent medication on Christmas Day

If you need urgent medication and cannot find an open pharmacy, your first call should be NHS 111 — telephone 111, free, 24 hours a day. NHS 111 clinicians can:

• Give urgent clinical advice over the phone or by video call
• Direct you to the nearest pharmacy on the Christmas Day rota in your area
• Refer you to an out-of-hours GP service or urgent treatment centre if required
• Authorise an emergency supply of a prescription medicine from an on-call pharmacy, where clinically appropriate

In Scotland, the equivalent service is NHS 24, also on 111, free and available 24 hours.

Plan ahead — collect prescriptions before Christmas

The single most effective thing you can do is to collect any regular or repeat prescriptions before the Christmas and New Year bank holiday period. If your prescription is due around Christmas, ask your GP surgery to issue it a few days early. Many practices will accommodate this request. Some GP surgeries and pharmacies also offer electronic prescribing, which can speed up the process significantly.

Remember: Boxing Day (26 December) is also a bank holiday in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and pharmacy availability on that day may be similarly limited. Plan to have enough medication to last through both days.