Late-Night and Sunday Pharmacies in Chichester: How to Find One Open

Which Chichester pharmacies open late or on Sundays?

Pharmacy opening hours change, particularly on Sundays and bank holidays, and a hard-coded list would go out of date. We therefore do not name a late-night or Sunday pharmacy here. The reliable way to find one is the NHS Find a pharmacy service, which asks for a town, city or postcode in England and lists nearby pharmacies with their opening times. Search from your own postcode, for example in PO18, PO19 or PO20, and check the hours shown for the day you need.

If you cannot find a pharmacy that is open, NHS 111 can help. The NHS describes it as a service that can direct you to a pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, out of hours GP or other service when you need help that is not an emergency. You can use 111 online or phone 111.

What can a pharmacist help with?

The NHS page on how pharmacies can help says pharmacists can give advice on illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections and aches and pains, and advice about medicines, including side effects. They can suggest treatments that do not need a prescription, and refer you to a GP or other professional if they cannot help.

What is Pharmacy First?

The NHS says most pharmacies can offer prescription medicine for some conditions without a GP appointment. The conditions and age ranges it lists are:

- impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
- infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
- earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
- sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- urinary tract infections (women aged 16 to 64 years)
- shingles (aged 18 years and over)

Outside those age ranges a pharmacist can still advise on self care, but you may need a GP. The NHS suggests contacting the pharmacy before you visit to check it can provide the service.

What other services do pharmacies offer?

According to the NHS pharmacy pages, other services include help with newly prescribed medicines (up to three appointments with a pharmacist), the contraceptive pill without a prescription at some pharmacies, free COVID-19 rapid lateral flow tests at some pharmacies, free blood pressure checks at some pharmacies, and safe disposal of unwanted medicines. The NHS pharmacies page has finders for each. Do not put old medicines in the bin or flush them away.

What if I run out of my medicine out of hours?

The NHS page on emergency prescriptions says that if you have run out of prescribed medicine you can use the 111 online emergency prescription service, which may refer you to a pharmacy. Pharmacies can provide certain emergency medicines even without a prescription, but you may need to pay. You may also be able to get medicine from an urgent treatment centre after a consultation, or phone your GP surgery, which should have out of hours details on its answering machine. If you get medicine on repeat prescription, the NHS says to allow 5 working days to request it.

When should I not wait for a pharmacy?

If it is an emergency, go to A&E or call 999. For help deciding where to go, see our guide to urgent care and St Richard's Hospital.