Where to check the rota
The official on-duty rota for pharmacies in Alicante province is published by the Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Alicante (COFA). On its “Farmacias de guardia” page choose the date and town (Localidad) — for example Torrevieja, Orihuela, Guardamar del Segura, Pilar de la Horadada or San Miguel de Salinas — or enter a postcode. You can also download the full 2026 rota as a single file.
“On-call duty”: phone first
If a pharmacy in the list shows a contact phone number, it is officially providing on-call duty (guardia localizada), as provided for by Generalitat Decree 187/1997 and the Health Department order of 26 June 2001. At night such a pharmacy may be closed, with the pharmacist coming in when called. So phone the number in the list first, then set off.
Prescription medicines: SIP card and e-prescription
According to the Valencian Health Department leaflet, bring your SIP health card to collect medicines on an electronic prescription. E-prescriptions work at any pharmacy in the Valencian Community and across Spain’s national health system (SNS). You can also collect medicines using the GVA +Salut app, which shows your current treatments and recent dispensations.
A prescription does not expire during the prescribed period, and you do not need to collect everything at once — only what you need now. With a private prescription or without a SIP card, ask the pharmacy about dispensing and payment.
If you need urgent help
A pharmacy is not a substitute for a doctor. If someone’s life is at risk, call 112. For urgent but non-emergency cases use your health centre’s urgent care — addresses are in our directory.