A prescription from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland may be usable at a UK pharmacy. You do not automatically need a new UK prescription simply because you are visiting London. The pharmacist must check the country, prescriber's profession, prescription details and medicine before deciding whether it can be dispensed.
If you do need a UK medical assessment, The Online GP by The Wellness offers telephone consultations at £59 for up to 15 minutes and video consultations from £150 for up to 30 minutes. Tell the team what has happened, what medicine you need and how much supply remains. They can help you choose an appropriate appointment rather than booking the wrong format.
When can a European prescription be dispensed in London?
UK government guidance allows prescriptions issued in an approved EEA country or Switzerland by an appropriately qualified prescriber in an approved profession to be dispensed in the UK. This is not a blanket rule for every prescription described as European. The issuing country and prescriber's profession both matter.
The EEA includes EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland is covered separately by the guidance. A prescription from a country outside those arrangements needs a different route. Nationality alone does not decide this: the country where the prescription was issued and the prescriber's status are what the pharmacist needs to establish.
Take the original prescription and any supporting treatment information to a pharmacist. Ask them to check whether it meets the requirements before assuming that you need to pay for a UK consultation. A photograph of a packet helps identify treatment, but it is not automatically a prescription the pharmacy can dispense against.
What details should you check before going to the pharmacy?
Government guidance says the prescriber's name, professional qualifications and contact details should be clearly stated, including their work address, email address and telephone or fax number with the international prefix. The country where the prescription was issued should also be clear. The prescription must be signed by a qualified prescriber practising in an approved profession.
Keep the medicine packaging or a clear photograph of its label alongside the prescription. It is useful to have your current dose instructions, allergies, other medicines and the reason for treatment. If a pharmacist or doctor needs to verify something, a reachable prescribing clinic can make that discussion easier.
Before travelling across London, ask the pharmacy whether it can assess your overseas prescription and whether it has the required medicine, strength and quantity available. Recognition of the prescription and stock availability are separate questions.
What if the pharmacist cannot dispense it?
A pharmacist can refuse to dispense if there are concerns about authenticity, clinical appropriateness, health and safety, or a medicine that would not ordinarily be dispensed in the UK. They may need more information even when the country and profession are recognised.
Ask what remains unresolved. Is information missing? Does the prescriber need to be contacted? Is the product unavailable? Or does the medicine require a UK assessment? Knowing the reason helps you avoid repeating the same unsuccessful pharmacy visit.
If a UK consultation is needed, bring the overseas prescription, packaging, treatment history and any recent relevant monitoring results. The doctor must decide whether prescribing is safe and appropriate. An overseas prescription is useful evidence, but it does not oblige a UK doctor to repeat the medicine or dose.
Which medicines need a different route?
The government guidance does not allow Schedule 1, 2 or 3 controlled drugs to be dispensed against an EEA or Swiss prescription. It also excludes specials: unlicensed medicines manufactured or procured for an individual's specific clinical needs. These restrictions are more specific than saying that every controlled medicine is treated identically.
Tell the team the medicine name before booking if you know it has additional restrictions. A consultation is not a promise that a controlled or specialist medicine will be prescribed. Further records, specialist input, monitoring or an in-person assessment may be needed. The safest next step depends on the medicine and your circumstances.
Do not substitute a different strength, change the dose or interrupt essential treatment based on a brand-name comparison alone. If you may run out before an ordinary appointment, tell a pharmacist or an urgent medical service promptly rather than waiting for an online reply. A medical emergency needs emergency care, not a routine GP booking.
Phone, video or an in-person assessment?
A telephone appointment can be a convenient starting point for discussing your treatment history and the problem with your prescription. A video appointment offers more time and visual communication. Neither removes the need for reliable records or any examination and monitoring your doctor considers necessary.
For The Online GP, telephone consultations cost £59 for up to 15 minutes. Video consultations start from £150 for up to 30 minutes. Ask the team to confirm availability, suitability and the full charges for your case before booking, including any separate medicine, pharmacy, test, document or follow-up costs. These are consultation fees, not a guaranteed supply of medication.
If you are staying in a hotel, serviced apartment or temporary address, tell the team your current location and how long you will remain in London. This helps with planning the consultation and any next steps. Use a quiet, private place where you can concentrate, and do not drive during your appointment.
What should you send when asking for an appointment?
Start with the medicine name and strength, the issuing country, whether a pharmacist has already reviewed the prescription, the reason they could not dispense it, and how many doses you have left. Add your preferred appointment time and whether you can take a phone or video call.
The team can explain how to provide supporting records through the appropriate route. Include any recent changes to treatment or symptoms when speaking with the clinician. For regular medication, a review should check that it is still needed, effective and tolerated, not simply reproduce an old prescription.
Ask about your next appointment
Call 020 3951 3429 or use the WhatsApp appointment button on this page to contact The Online GP by The Wellness. Say that you have an EEA or Swiss prescription and explain what the pharmacy has advised. The team will confirm the available appointment options; prescribing remains a clinical decision.
Sources and further reading
Explore telephone GP consultations and video GP consultations.
Information checked 5 November 2026. This article explains access and preparation; individual prescribing and dispensing decisions require professional assessment.