Need medicine at night? Where to get help after hours

Where can I get medicine at night?

From a pharmacy that’s still open. The directory lists 9 24-hour pharmacies in Australia, open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Others stay open late, and Near me lists the pharmacies nearest to you that are open now, with when each closes. On public holidays, read which pharmacies open on Christmas Day, Easter and Anzac Day.

Any pharmacy that accepts electronic prescriptions can fill an eScript, so you don’t need your usual one. Read how eScripts work.

If you’ve run out of a regular medicine and have no script, ask the pharmacist anyway. In most states and territories they can give you 3 days’ supply of most medicines without one. If your doctor can’t be reached, they can also supply some regular PBS medicines, such as those for asthma, diabetes and heart disease, under Continued Dispensing, once in any 12 months. Read what to do if you run out of medicine with no script.

Pharmacists can treat some conditions without a doctor, depending on your state. Read what pharmacists can prescribe.

Who can I call for advice at night?

Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222. Registered nurses answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can tell you whether to manage at home, see a GP or go to an emergency department. In Victoria the service is called Nurse-on-Call, and you can also reach it on 1300 60 60 24. In Queensland you can call 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84.

healthdirect’s website also has a Symptom Checker, and a Service Finder that lists GPs, pharmacies and hospitals near you.

Can I see a GP after hours?

Yes. If your GP is closed, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222. The nurse will talk through your symptoms and may arrange a call back or a video call from a GP.

If a GP you see by telehealth decides you need a medicine, they can send the script to your phone or to a pharmacy as an eScript.

What is a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic?

A walk-in clinic for illnesses and injuries that are urgent but not life-threatening, when you can’t see your GP. There’s no appointment and no fee: the care is bulk billed. There were 137 clinics across Australia by June 2026.

They treat things such as:

• minor infections, including urinary tract infections
• sprains, minor fractures and sports injuries
• minor cuts, mild burns, insect bites and rashes
• minor eye and ear problems
• respiratory illness and gastroenteritis.

The clinics open early and close late, but hours vary, so check your local clinic’s on the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic finder. With your consent, the clinic can share what happened with your regular GP.

When should I call 000?

If someone has a life-threatening illness or injury, call 000 for an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department. Don’t go to an urgent care clinic.

If someone has taken too much of a medicine, taken the wrong one or been poisoned, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, 24 hours a day, from anywhere in Australia.