Medication Help for Tourists in Edinburgh: A Guide for Overseas Visitors

A holiday in Edinburgh can go wrong in small ways: a suitcase that goes missing, a packet of tablets left on the kitchen table in another country, or a bad infection on the second day. If you need medicine while you are here, walk in while we are open and speak to one of our independent prescribing pharmacists. There is no need to book, and it makes no difference that you do not live here. We will still be able to help.

UK law treats visitors from different places differently, and many people only find this out when they are standing at a pharmacy counter. This guide explains the rules in plain English, so you know what to expect and what to bring.

Medication help for tourists at a glance

• First step: walk in and speak to the pharmacist. There is no need to book.
• Doctor anywhere else outside the UK: you need a new prescription written here, because a pharmacy cannot make an emergency supply.
• Doctor elsewhere in the UK: an emergency supply is usually possible.
• What to bring: the box or a photo of it, your prescription, and your passport.
• Cost: you normally have to pay. Keep the receipt for your travel insurance.
• Very unwell: phone for advice. In an emergency, call 999.

Three questions that decide what happens next

When you come in, the pharmacist will want to know three things. It helps to have the answers ready.

1. Where is your doctor registered? This decides which routes are open to you.
2. What is the medicine? Some medicines like certain Controlled Drugs cannot be supplied, wherever you are from.
3. How long are you staying? This decides how much you need.

Which rules apply to you

If your doctor is in the EU, EEA or Switzerland

You have the most options. A pharmacist can consider an emergency supply of a medicine a recognised prescriber has prescribed for you before, as long as you need it now and a prescription cannot be obtained quickly enough. The pharmacist also has to be comfortable that it is right for you, so a supply is not automatic.

If you have a prescription from your doctor with you, a pharmacy may also be able to dispense it. It has to include certain details, and it is treated as a private prescription here. Our guide to using a prescription from abroad in Scotland lists the countries and what the prescription must show.

If your doctor is in the US, Canada, Australia or anywhere else

f your doctor is outside the UK, the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, a community pharmacy in Scotland cannot make an emergency supply, and it cannot dispense your prescription from home. This is the law, not a decision by one pharmacy, and it is the same at every pharmacy in the country.

It does not mean you are stuck. You need a new private prescription from a prescriber in the UK, and the best route is often seeing an independent prescribing pharmacist. One of our pharmacists with prescribing training assesses you and, if appropriate, writes a private prescription so you can be provided with the medication you need.

What this actually involves

A discussion with one of our pharmacist independent prescribers who will ask about your condition, how long you have had it and who treats it at home.

A prescriber is responsible for what they prescribe, so they may give you a short supply, suggest a different medicine that is available here, or decide that you should see a doctor instead. Anything you can show us helps: a letter from your doctor, your prescription from home, or the empty box. Once a prescription is written, we can dispense it for you at the same visit if the medicine is in stock.

If your doctor is elsewhere in the UK

A pharmacist can usually consider an emergency supply if you are registered with a GP in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The free service for people registered in Scotland does not cover you, so a charge can apply. A repeat slip, the empty packet or a screenshot from your GP app will help.

An example case, what happens next:

A traveller from the United States, and a blood pressure medicine

A man from Ohio on a two-week tour runs out on day ten. His prescription from home cannot be used here, and a pharmacy cannot make an emergency supply for him. He needs a UK prescriber. Bringing his empty bottle and his doctor's contact details makes that assessment much simpler with one of our independent prescribing pharmacists.

Find your situation

If you have run out of medicine

Do not wait until you have taken your last dose. This is especially true for insulin and other diabetes medicines, epilepsy medicines, long-term steroids, blood thinners, heart medicines and reliever inhalers. If you have already missed doses of one of these, come in as soon as it is convenient. Tell us how many doses you have missed and when you last took your medication. Before you come in, count the days until your flight home and add a couple more in case of delays, because that is the first thing we will need to know about how much to supply.

If your luggage is lost or delayed

Report the bag to your airline before you leave the airport, and tell them there are medicines inside. Then decide how long you can safely wait. If your medicine cannot wait, do not depend on the bag arriving. Our guide on replacing medication when your luggage is lost covers what to say to the airline, what counts as proof, and how to claim the cost back.

If you have a prescription from home

Having a prescription is not always enough, because it only helps if it comes from an approved country and contains the right details. It is worth showing the pharmacist anyway: even a prescription we cannot dispense gives useful information about what you take and the dose. The full rules are in our guide to prescriptions from abroad.

If you feel ill

A pharmacist can give you advice on everyday problems such as a cold, a sore throat, a stomach upset or sore feet, and can sell you suitable medicines. If you have a bacterial infection such as tonsillitis, chest or sinus infection, following a consultation one of our Independent Prescribing (IP) Pharmacists can diagnose and issue a prescription for you to take away. For anything more serious, you may need a doctor or a hospital. Our guide on falling ill on holiday in Edinburgh explains where to go and what you may have to pay.

Know the real name of your medicine

The same medicine can have a different brand name in another country, and a name you know well may mean nothing here. What the pharmacist needs is the active ingredient, sometimes called the generic name, and the strength. You can usually find it in smaller print on the box or in the leaflet. Your own pharmacy or doctor at home can also send it to you.

A few medicines used abroad are not available in the UK, or come in a different strength or form. If so, the pharmacist or prescriber will explain the options. Please do not swap to a similar medicine you find online or get from a friend: the dose may be different, and it may not be safe with what else you take.

How a pharmacist checks a medicine from abroad

Your box may be in another language, and that is fine. The pharmacist looks up the active ingredient and strength, compares it with what is available in the UK, and checks that the dose makes sense for you.

Please be open about everything you take, including anything bought without a prescription at home. Some products sold freely in other countries are prescription-only here, and some can interact with what we might supply.

Please do not buy medicines online in a hurry

When you are worried and far from home, a website offering your usual medicine with no prescription can look like an easy answer. Please be careful. Prescription-only medicines sold that way may be fake, the wrong strength or unsafe, and they may not arrive in time anyway. Do not rely on medicines bought at a market or from a stranger either. Coming in costs you nothing to ask, and we can tell you which legal route is open to you.

What to bring

Bring as much of this as you have. Photos on your phone are fine.

• the box, bottle or blister pack, even if it is empty
• your prescription, or a photo of it
• a letter from your doctor or hospital, in any language
• your passport or other photo ID
• the address where you are staying in Edinburgh
• a list of everything else you take, including vitamins and herbal products

Come in and see us

The best thing to do is come to the pharmacy without booking. Tell us at the start if you are visiting from abroad, as that changes which route we look at first. We see people from all over the world, and you do not need to be staying nearby. If you want to check whether we have a medicine before you travel across the city, phone us first.

• Address: 45 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QP
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm (closed Sunday)
• Phone: 0131 225 7770

What happens when you come in

1. The pharmacist talks to you. This has to be a real conversation with the person who needs the medicine. We can speak in a private room.
2. We look at your information. We check what the medicine is, why you take it, your usual dose, and when you last had it.
3. The pharmacist explains your options. This might be an emergency supply, a private consultation, or a GP. If we cannot help, we say so straight away.
4. You hear the cost first. Nothing goes ahead until you have agreed to it.
5. You get your medicine, with a label, receipt and an invoice if needded.

How long it takes

If you have the details with you and we have the medicine in stock, an emergency supply can be fairly quick. We can often order a medicine we do not have, usually for the same day or next working day.

While you wait, store your medicines as the label says. If you are in a hotel or holiday let and your medicine needs a fridge, ask the reception or your host. Most will be glad to help.

If English is not your first language

Please come in anyway. It helps to write down the name of your medicine and what it is for, and to use a translation app on your phone if you have one. A letter from your doctor in your own language can still be useful, because medicine names and doses are often easy to recognise.

How much you can be given

An emergency supply has limits set by law. The pharmacist will may give you what you need until you get home, and not always the maximum.

• Most prescription medicines: no more than 30 days.
• Inhalers, insulin, creams and ointments: the smallest pack available.
• Contraceptive pills: one cycle.
• Liquid antibiotics: the smallest amount for a complete course.
• Certain sleeping and anxiety medicines: five days at most.

Medicines that cannot be supplied quickly

Strong opioid painkillers, ADHD stimulants and most other controlled drugs cannot be given as an emergency supply, and they cannot be dispensed from a prescription written in another country. These rules apply wherever you are from. You will need a prescription from a UK prescriber, and they may need time to confirm your treatment, so contact a GP as early as you can.

Some medicines that are legal at home are tightly controlled in the UK, so check before you travel if you can.

What it costs, and claiming on insurance

Most visitors pay privately for an emergency supply or a private prescription, including the medicine. The price depends on what you need, and we tell you before you agree to anything. The price may vary depending on what medication is being prescribed.

Many travel insurance policies cover lost medicines or medical costs, so we can provide a receipt or invoice.

If you are travelling with children or older relatives

Children's doses depend on age and weight, so please know both if you can, and bring the child with you. An older relative may take many medicines at once, so a written list or a photo of each box is worth more than trying to remember them. If someone you are travelling with finds it hard to explain things in English, or at all, you are welcome to help them. The pharmacist still needs to speak with them where possible.

Advice you read online may not apply in Scotland

Scotland runs its own health service, and many websites describe the rules for England. A service you read about there may not exist here, or may work differently. The legal limits on emergency supplies apply across the UK, but who pays and which free services you can use differ. If you have read something that does not match what we tell you, please ask. Your hotel reception can also help you find your way to us.

If you are staying longer than you planned

An emergency supply is a short-term solution. If you find you will be here for a few months or more, you may contact a GP practice about registering as a temporary resident, so you have someone looking after your treatment. If you are moving here, our post on sorting your prescriptions when you move to Edinburgh is a useful guide.

Packing for your next trip

• Take more than you need, in case your return is delayed.
• Keep your medicines in your hand luggage, in the original boxes.
• Carry a letter from your doctor, ideally in English, if you take something important or controlled.
• Check your travel insurance covers medical costs and lost medicines before you leave.

Frequently asked questions from visitors

Do I need an appointment?

No you don't. Walk in while we are open and speak to the pharmacist.

I am from the United States. Can you fill my prescription?

A pharmacy in the UK cannot dispense a prescription written in the US. However, we can still help. As you need a new UK prescription, one of our independent prescribing pharmacists will be able to help following a brief consultation.

Do I have to pay?

Usually, yes. We tell you the cost first. Keep your receipt and invoice for your travel insurance.

Can you give me the same brand I use at home?

Sometimes the brand is different here, but the active ingredient is what matters. The pharmacist will explain anything that looks different.

Can a friend collect my medicine for me?

Emergency supplies require a direct conversation with the patient. If illness stops you getting here, phone us.

My hotel says I need a doctor. Is that right?

Not always. A pharmacist who can prescribe can often help. Come in, phone us on 0131 225 7770 to check. In an emergency, call 999.

What if you cannot help me?

We will tell you straight away and explain where to go next.

Related reading

• Can a pharmacy in Scotland accept a prescription from abroad?
• Lost luggage in Edinburgh? How to replace your medication
• Fallen ill on holiday in Edinburgh? A guide for overseas visitors
• Emergency prescription service at Forrest Pharmacy
• Private prescription service at Forrest Pharmacy

Reviewed by Ather Diab, Superintendent Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber (GPhC 2233707). Forrest Pharmacy, 45 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QP. Last reviewed: 7th November 2026.

This page gives general information and is not a substitute for an individual assessment. A pharmacist only supplies a prescription-only medicine after checking this is legal and suitable for you, so we cannot guarantee a supply. In an emergency, call 999.

Sources: Human Medicines Regulations 2012, regulations 224 and 225; GOV.UK, Prescriptions issued in the EEA and Switzerland, guidance for pharmacists; NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Community Pharmacy Services, version 2.0, June 2026; Community Pharmacy Scotland, Emergency Supply Legislation, 22 August 2024; NHS inform, Healthcare for overseas visitors; all checked 2 November 2026.