With GP practices being closed on Friday 19 September 2025 and Monday 22 September 2025, residents of Ayrshire and Arran are being urged to check who to turn to if they need advice or support to cope with any common health concerns.
Some community pharmacies will remain open during this period and can answer questions on choosing and using the right medicine and provide easy-to-understand advice on treating everyday ailments. For information about how to access a wide range of healthcare services please visit the Seasonal Health hub on our website – https://www.nhsaaa.net/services/services-a-z/healthhub/
NHS 24 also has a number of pharmacists who are able to answer medicine and pharmacy-related questions over the telephone on 111 or visit NHS inform (http://www.nhsinform.scot.) for valuable advice on how to prepare.
Roisin Kavanagh, Director of Pharmacy explains: “You can do a number of things to make sure you are prepared to deal with common illnesses over the bank holiday period. Having a sufficient supply of medicines like paracetamol, sore throat, hay fever and cough remedies will help to relieve the symptoms of common ailments.
“If you take regular medication, you should check your existing supplies and only order what you need to see you through over the holiday weekend. It is also a good idea to make sure you know when your local GP practice and community pharmacy are closed. Please also take into consideration the time required by your local GP practice and community pharmacy for processing prescription requests as this can add up to seven days”.
Under the Pharmacy First service, pharmacies can:
- prescribe medication for you following a consultation*;
- treat many women from age 16 for urinary tract infections*;
- treat many patients for impetigo*;
- treat patients over 18 for skin infections including infected insect bites*;
- treat patients over 18 for shingles*;
(*where they meet certain criteria)
Many community pharmacies also:
- provide your repeat prescriptions when your GP is not available (under certain circumstances);
- give women advice and supply emergency hormonal contraception;
- dispense prescriptions;
- give advice, support and where appropriate, prescribe nicotine replacement therapy to those giving up smoking;
- hold records of your medicines to ensure that the safety of any future medication is checked;
- provide a private area to discuss sensitive issues;
- give you advice over the telephone;
- give you advice on the best way to take your medicines;
Many pharmacies also offer:
- advice on travel health;
- collection and delivery of prescriptions;
- supervised methadone supply; and
- needle exchange.
Friday 19 September 2025
All pharmacies will be open, except the following pharmacies:
East Ayrshire:
- Catrine Pharmacy, 8 Ford Street, Catrine
- Davidsons Chemist, 8 Irvine Road, Crosshouse
- Cumnock Pharmacy, 9B Townhead Street, Cumnock
- Doon Valley Pharmacy, 5 Cathcartston, Dalmellington
- Dalrymple Pharmacy, 6 Main Street, Darymple
- Drongan Pharmacy, 64 Mill ‘O’ Sheild Road, Drongan
- Fenwick Pharmacy, 77 Main Road, Fenwick
- Shortlees Pharmacy, 16 Central Avenue, Kilmarnock
Please note Morrisons Pharmacy, West Langlands Street, Kilmarnock will close early at 6pm instead of 8pm.
North Ayrshire:
- Arran Pharmacy, Shore Road, Whiting Bay, Arran pharmacist only available from 1pm – 2pm, (pharmacy will be open 11am – 4pm)
- Arran Pharmacy, Lamlash, Arran
- Davidsons Chemist, 18 Main Street, Dalry
- Gallagher Pharmacy, 1 New Street, Dalry
- Davidsons Chemist, 25 Main Street, Dreghorn
- Townhead Pharmacy, Station Plaza, Pennyburn Road, Kilwinning
- Gallagher Pharmacy, 17/19 Raise Street, Saltcoats
- Care Pharmacy, 55 Main Street Springside
South Ayrshire:
- Alloway Pharmacy, 21 Alloway, Ayr
- Wellington Square Pharmacy, 26 Wellington Square, Ayr
- Ogg & Co Pharmacy, 44 Newmarket Street, Ayr
- Rowlands Pharmacy, 29 Mount Oliphant Crescent, Ayr
- Coylton Pharmacy, 13 Main Street, Coylton
- Davidsons Chemist, 11 Main Street, Dundonald
- Carrick Pharmacy, 71 High Street, Maybole
- Monkton Pharmacy, Old Primary School, Monkton
- Mossblown Chemist, Mauchline Road, Mossblown
- Davidsons Chemist, 47 Brewlands Drive, Symington
- Tarbolton Pharmacy, The Cross, Tarbolton
Saturday 20 September 2025
All Pharmacies will be open as normal
Sunday 21 September 2025
All pharmacies will be closed except
East Ayrshire:
- Boots Pharmacy, 62/70 King Street, Kilmarnock from 12noon – 4pm
- Wm Morrisons Pharmacy, West Langlands Street, Kilmarnock from 10am – 5pm
North Ayrshire:
- Boots Pharmacy, 1 Fullarton Square, Irvine from 11am – 5pm
- Superdrug, 6B Aitken Street, Largs from 11am – 5pm
South Ayrshire:
- Boots Pharmacy, 168/170 High Street, Ayr from 12noon – 4pm
- Wm Morrisons Pharmacy, Castlehill Road, Ayr from 9am – 5pm
Monday 22 September 2025
All pharmacies will be closed except:
East Ayrshire:
- Fenwick Pharmacy, 77 Main Road, Fenwick from 11am – 1pm
- Boots Pharmacy, 62/70 King Street, Kilmarnock from 12noon – 4pm
- Morrisons Pharmacy, West Langlands Street, Kilmarnock from 8.30am – 6pm
- Shortlees Pharmacy, 16 Central Avenue, Kilmarnock from 1pm – 3pm
- Deans Pharmacy, 53 MacPhail Drive, Kilmarnock from 9am – 6pm
- Well Pharmacy, 1/5 Loudon Street, Mauchline from 9am – 6pm
- Right Medicine Pharmacy, 90 Main Street, Ochiltree from 9am – 1pm and 2pm – 5.30pm
North Ayrshire:
- Arran Pharmacy, Brodick, Arran from 9am – 1pm
- Well Pharmacy, 18/020 Main Street, Beith from 9am – 6pm
- Boots Pharmacy 1 Fullarton Square, Irvine from 11am – 5pm
- Irvine Pharmacy, 154/156 High Street, Irvine from 12noon – 2pm
- Halliday Pharmacy, 5 Aitken Street, Largs from 8.30am – 1pm
- Cumbrae Pharmacy, 30 Stuart Street, Millport from 9am – 1pm and 1.30pm – 5.30pm
South Ayrshire:
- Alloway Pharmacy, 21 Alloway, Ayr from 12noon – 2pm
- Boots Pharmacy, 168/170 High Street, Ayr from 12noon – 4pm
- Well Pharmacy, 10/12 Sandgate, Ayr from 8.30am – 5.30pm
- Bankfield Pharmacy, 146 Dalmellington Road, Ayr from 2pm – 4pm