To find out which pharmacy is on duty today in the Valencian Community you need to check the association of pharmacists (colegio de farmacéuticos) of your province. The regional health department delegates the organisation of emergency rotas to the associations of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón, so each province publishes its own calendar. This guide explains where to look, how to read the list and what to bring to get your medicines out of hours.
Where to check today’s duty pharmacy
- Valencia province: the Valencia association of pharmacists (MICOF) has a search tool on micof.es for open and emergency pharmacies by town or postcode.
- Alicante province: the Alicante association publishes a search tool on cofalicante.com by date, town and postcode, and lets you download the full year’s duty calendar as an Excel file.
- Castellón province: the General Council of Pharmacists offers a duty-pharmacy search by province on farmaceuticos.com, including Castellón with data from its association.
Many pharmacies also display a notice on the door with the area’s duty rota, which is handy if you are outside a closed pharmacy without mobile data.
What an on-call («localizada») duty means
In some towns, especially smaller ones, the duty pharmacy does not stay open all night. It works on call: the list shows a phone number and the pharmacist comes when you ring. The Alicante association states this explicitly in its search tool: pharmacies listed with a phone number are authorised to provide the duty service this way. If that is your case, call before you set off.
The new duty rules
In December 2025 the Valencian government approved a new decree on pharmacy emergency services. According to MICOF, it sets maximum access times to a duty pharmacy and minimum ratios of pharmacies by population. Practical points include:
- Towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants and a health centre with continuous care must have at least one emergency pharmacy.
- Duty rotas can be reinforced at busy times such as Easter, summer or local festivities.
- During holidays, at least one third of the pharmacies in each town must stay open.
What to bring to collect your medicines
- Your SIP health card, or the virtual card with a QR code in the GVA +Salut app. See how to carry it on your phone in our SIP card guide.
- Your treatment sheet or the pharmacy section of the app, if your medicines are on an electronic prescription.
- If the prescription is from a private doctor, the signed paper prescription.
If you have run out of an urgent medicine and it is not available, the health department advises going to your health centre for a new prescription.
When you need A&E rather than a pharmacy
A duty pharmacy dispenses medicines and can give advice, but it does not replace medical care. For an urgent health problem, go to your health centre’s continuous care point or a hospital emergency department. In an emergency, call 112.
Frequently asked questions
Does a duty pharmacy charge extra?
Funded medicines are dispensed with the same co-payment as during normal hours. Ask at the pharmacy whether any non-pharmaceutical service is priced differently.
Can I collect a prescription from another region at a duty pharmacy?
Yes. Electronic prescriptions work across the Spanish National Health System: with your health card you can collect your treatment at any pharmacy, including duty ones.