Plan for regular medication without stockpiling

Check the ordinary repeat-prescription routine

Know when your normal prescription is due, how you request it and how you usually collect or receive it. Be Ready says it is important to request prescriptions up to five working days before the medicine is needed. Follow the arrangements of your own service and check with your pharmacist or prescriber if the timing is uncertain.

If access to transport, communication or a carer is part of that routine, discuss what you would do if that support were disrupted. A trusted person may be able to help, but they should know what is agreed. Do not wait for the last dose to discover that a normal collection arrangement is unavailable.

Ask specific storage and equipment questions

If medication has temperature, refrigeration or other storage requirements, ask your pharmacist what to do during a power interruption. Read the patient information and keep it available. This guide does not give a universal number of hours that medicines remain usable without refrigeration, because that depends on the product and circumstances.

If treatment relies on powered equipment, discuss a suitable interruption plan with the care team or equipment provider. Do not assume a portable phone charger is a medical backup supply. Do not stop, ration, substitute or change a prescribed treatment because a checklist mentions a three-day planning period.

Keep private information where it is useful

Be Ready suggests a paper list of regular medication and doses with important information. Make that privately using your current prescription information, and check it when treatment changes. Think about who genuinely needs access, especially in a shared home.

READY72 only asks whether continuity planning would be useful; it does not need diagnoses, medicine names or doses. Avoid adding those details to free-text notes or a public share card. A downloaded household plan can still contain personal contacts or support information, so store it securely and be careful about shared printers and devices.

Separate preparation from urgent help

If you are running out of medication or cannot use essential equipment, contact the appropriate health professional or service for your circumstances. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. READY72 is not monitored for emergencies, does not issue medical alerts and cannot arrange an urgent prescription.

• Normal prescription request timing understood
• Storage questions discussed with a pharmacist
• Equipment plan checked with the provider if relevant
• Private paper instructions kept current