Late-night and 100-hour pharmacies explained
A “100-hour pharmacy” is one with an NHS contract to open for at least 100 hours a week. Many were opened in England between 2005 and 2012, often in supermarkets and retail parks, and they've been a lifeline for evening and weekend medicine.
Why there are fewer than before
Since 2023, 100-hour pharmacies in England have been allowed to cut their core hours to a minimum of 72 a week, and many have done so. Rising costs have also led to closures. So a pharmacy that used to open until midnight may now close earlier.
Finding a pharmacy open late
- Use our open late list, which shows pharmacies in England whose published hours run to 8pm or later on at least one day.
- See long-hours pharmacies — those open 72 hours a week or more.
- Use the Open now filter on any area page.
Overnight, very few pharmacies are open. If you need medicine urgently at night, call NHS 111.