Medicines & Out of Hours Care
Accessing medicines safely when your GP is closed
SELDOC is an Out of Hours service that treats urgent medical problems when your GP and most pharmacies are closed. We also help you access urgent medicines safely and offer advice on self-care.
Having accurate information about your medicines helps us give you the right treatment or advice - quickly and safely.
What you need to know about medicines & SELDOC
Always tell us about all the medicines you are taking, including:
Prescription medicines
Over-the-counter medicines
Vitamins and supplements
Herbal medicines
Inhalers, creams, eye/ear and nasal drops, patches or injections
This helps us avoid harmful combinations of medicines and provide safe care.
We provide short-term or emergency prescriptions - enough to last until your GP or pharmacy reopens.
For ongoing medicines, please contact your GP.
Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. They do not work for viral infections like colds or flu.
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can cause side effects and make future infections harder to treat.
Take medicines exactly as prescribed
Never share medicines with others
Do not combine medicines without professional advice
Tell us about any allergies or past side effects
Some medicines carry risks of addiction, dependence or misuse. These include strong painkillers, sleeping tablets and sedatives.
Our service does not routinely prescribe these. Please arrange ongoing supplies with your GP, or go to A&E if your need is urgent.
Most pharmacies can provide:
Emergency supplies of repeat medicines
Treatment for conditions like sore throats, ear aches, urine infections and insect bites
Emergency hormonal contraception
Order repeat prescriptions early - at least 3 days before weekends and 5 days before bank holidays
Keep basic medicines at home, e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen and antihistamines
Check expiry dates regularly
Please inform your GP about any medicines started, stopped or changed during your consultation with us.
Can’t reach your GP or need urgent help?
Contact NHS 111 first — they will direct you to the right service, including SELDOC if appropriate.