Running Out of Medication During the Edinburgh Fringe
The increased activity during the Edinburgh Fringe can make replacing lost or forgotten medication more challenging.
If you run out of essential medication during festival season, timely assessment is important to prevent potentially harmful side effects of stopping medicines.
Read our guide below to understand how you should proceed if you’ve lost or forgotten your medicines.
NHS Options
If eligible and registered, you may:
Request an urgent repeat prescription
Seek advice from a community pharmacy
Access urgent treatment centres
Availability may be affected by seasonal demand.
Private Consultation Pathway
Private consultation are often considered where:
You are visiting the UK
You are not registered locally
You require short-term continuation
NHS access is delayed
During assessment, a prescriber will review your history and determine clinical appropriateness.
A consultation does not guarantee prescribing.
When to Seek Emergency Care
If missing medication could cause serious harm or symptoms are worsening, seek urgent medical attention immediately. If you are having symptoms of heart attack, stroke, severe asthma attack or hyper- or hypo-glycaemia due to medicine discontinuation, call 999
Private Consultation in Central Edinburgh and UK-Wide
Arcadia Health Clinic provides clinical private consultations for patients in Edinburgh and across the UK. We specialise in prescribing for tourists and visitors to the UK who may struggle to access healthcare in the UK healthcare system.
If you have lost or forgotten a regularly prescribed medicine, Arcadia Health Clinic may be able to help.*
Consultations are delivered by UK-registered independent prescribers operating within a compliant and safety-focused framework.
*Please note we are unable to prescribe controlled drugs or assist with mental health crises.
