My medication runs out at the weekend: what can I do?
What to do if you run out of tablets on a Saturday or Sunday, and how to stop it happening again.
In short
- First check whether your electronic prescription already lets you collect the next box: for long-term treatments it usually becomes available a few days before the previous one runs out.
- If the prescription is active, any duty pharmacy can dispense it with your health card, even in another region of Spain.
- If no prescription is available, go to your region's out-of-hours primary care service; for serious symptoms, call 112.
- Do not take someone else's medication or change the dose to make your tablets last: ask your pharmacist first.
If you notice on a Saturday that your medication is running out, the first step is to check whether your electronic prescription is already available: for long-term treatments, the next supply becomes available a few days before the previous box ends, so you may only need to find a duty pharmacy. If no prescription is available, the out-of-hours primary care service can assess your situation.
Running out of tablets at the weekend is more common than it seems, especially when you take several medicines and each box runs out on a different day. Here are the steps, in order, and some tips so it does not happen again.
| What will you find in this article? |
How do I know whether I can collect the next box?
Under Royal Decree 1718/2010 on medical prescriptions, with electronic prescriptions the second and later supplies can be collected from ten calendar days before the medication from the previous supply runs out. Regional health services can set other periods: in the Basque Country, for example, the next pack is available fifteen days before.
To find out, you have several options:
- Check your region's health app or website, which usually shows your treatment plan and upcoming supplies.
- Ask at the pharmacy: with your health card they can see straight away what you have pending.
- Look at the treatment sheet your doctor gave you, if you have a printed copy.
To get more out of these tools, we explain what the electronic prescription is for.
Where can I find a pharmacy open at the weekend?
Each area has a rota of duty pharmacies covering nights, weekends and bank holidays. The official colleges of pharmacists publish the rota on their websites and many pharmacies show the nearest duty pharmacy on their door.
If you are away from home, remember that National Health System electronic prescriptions can be dispensed in pharmacies in other regions: according to the Ministry of Health, you only need to show your individual health card. Always carry the card (physical or on your phone, if your region allows it) and, if possible, your medication list.
What if my prescription is not active or the treatment has ended?
A pharmacy cannot dispense a prescription-only medicine without a valid prescription. In that case, these are your options depending on the situation:
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The prescription is active | Go to a duty pharmacy with your health card |
| The prescription is not yet active or the treatment period has ended | Go to your region's out-of-hours primary care service |
| You have one or two days' medication left | Call your health centre first thing on Monday to renew it |
| You have serious symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, confusion) | Call 112 |
| You prefer private care | A private doctor can issue a private prescription; you will pay the full price of the medicine |
Out-of-hours primary care services have different names depending on the region (PAC, SUAP, CUAP and others). Your region's health information line will tell you which one applies to you. If you choose the private route, see how it works in our article on private medical prescriptions.
What should I avoid in the meantime?
The most important thing is not to improvise with the dose. Splitting tablets to make them last, taking them every other day or using someone else's can be dangerous, because the dose and the medicine were chosen for you.
- Do not take a relative's or friend's medication, even if it "is the same".
- Do not change how you take your medicine to make it last without asking your pharmacist or doctor first.
- If you have already missed a dose, do not take a double dose when you restart: follow what the leaflet says.
- Do not suddenly stop medicines such as antiepileptics, beta blockers or steroids without advice, because some should not be stopped abruptly.
A practical example: Javier, on a Saturday afternoon
Take the case of Javier, 63, who has taken early retirement and takes five medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. One Saturday afternoon he sees he only has two metformin tablets left.
Javier opens his region's health app and sees that the next supply is already available. He looks up the nearest duty pharmacy on the college of pharmacists' website and collects it that same afternoon with his health card.
Back home, he checks the other boxes and puts the approximate date each one will run out in his phone calendar, with a reminder a week before. That way, next time he can collect them in good time at his usual pharmacy. For the future, he also finds our guide to renewing long-term prescriptions on time helpful.
How can IMA Health help stop it happening again?
The underlying problem is usually that each medicine runs out on a different date. At IMA Health we handle the coordination with a specialised pharmacy that prepares your medication by day and time of each dose, we deliver it to your home and we provide personalised follow-up to anticipate when each treatment will run out. That way you do not depend on remembering every box or looking for a duty pharmacy on a Sunday.
Sources
- BOE: Royal Decree 1718/2010 on medical prescriptions (in Spanish)
- Spanish Ministry of Health: NHS electronic prescription and interoperability (in Spanish)
- Basque Government: chronic or long-term treatments (in Spanish)
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.