People in Swindon and Wiltshire who depend on regular medication are being advised to order their supplies early to avoid the festive season rush.
According to the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, pharmacies are expected to experience an increase in customers in the run-up to Christmas.
Residents are urged to submit their repeat prescriptions by Friday, December 12, at the latest.
This early ordering will enable pharmacies to process the requests in time and accommodate any unforeseen delivery delays.
From this date, pharmacies cannot assure delivery of medicines before the extended Christmas break, as many sites will close early on Wednesday, December 24 and will remain closed until the morning of Monday, December 29.
Helen Wilkinson, community pharmacy integration lead at the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: "Every Christmas and New Year, our NHS 111 phone lines become inundated with calls from people who have run out of medicine and need to arrange an emergency repeat prescription.
"Planning ahead by getting orders in early helps to avoid challenging situations like this and means people can enjoy the festive period knowing they have what they need to stay well, while at the same time supporting our urgent care teams to focus on those most in need of genuine help."
Missing medication can have significant consequences for people with both short and long-term conditions, particularly affecting those who are older or vulnerable.
According to Ms Wilkinson, most pharmacies are capable of fulfilling common prescription requests in less than a week.
However, given the heightened demand during this time of year, an extra few days can ensure timely delivery, despite any unexpected delays.
A limited number of pharmacies will remain open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as well as throughout the weekend immediately following, but are likely to be situated further away and may be more challenging to access due to public transport operating on altered timetables.
To alleviate the potential in-person pharmacy visit strain, prescription requests can be conveniently made through the NHS App.
In October, nearly 90,000 people in the local region ordered their medication this way.
In addition to prescriptions, community pharmacies are equipped to assist people with minor injuries and illnesses.
The PharmacyFirst initiative, functioning at all of the 130-plus sites within Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire, permits pharmacists to prescribe treatments, including antibiotics, for seven common conditions.