Our prescribing pharmacists at Chapel Pharmacy supply period-delayed tablets from our Chapel Lane clinic in Farnborough. No GP referral and no waiting list.
Schedule online via Simplybook or call the pharmacy. Walk-ins are welcome, but booking ensures dedicated time with a pharmacist.
You’ll meet privately with the pharmacist to discuss your cycle, medical history, and current medications. The consultation lasts about 10 minutes.
If approved, you’ll receive your tablets immediately, along with clear instructions on usage and what to expect afterward.
In practice, most requests fall into a few groups. Beach holidays and long trips are the most popular. Next are weddings, honeymoons, and religious events like Ramadan or Hajj.
We also see patients delaying exams, job interviews, sporting events, and competitions.
Not suitable if you are due surgery or will be immobile for a long period. Long-haul flights are worth mentioning at your consultation so we can weigh clot risk.
There is no medical need to delay a period. It is a lifestyle choice and a sensible one when a heavy or painful bleed would disrupt something that matters to you.
A word from experience on timing. The main reason period delay fails is starting the tablets too late, not the medicine underperforming.
Start taking norethisterone three days before your period is due. If you start on the day bleeding is expected, or after it has begun, the tablets will not hold your period back.
If your cycle is irregular, count from your earliest likely start date rather than your average.
We supply norethisterone 5 mg tablets, the standard licensed option used across UK pharmacies and general practices for period postponement.
The usual dose is one 5 mg tablet three times a day. You begin three days before your period is due and keep taking them until you want your period to return.
Period delay is not funded by the NHS, so this is a private service. Our prices are fixed and include the consultation.
A 30-tablet pack covers around 10 days of dosing. Your pharmacist will advise which quantity fits your dates, including trips where you need cover for more than one occasion.
Norethisterone suits most people, and side effects are usually mild and settle once the course finishes.
The more common ones are breast tenderness, bloating, mild nausea, headaches, low mood, spotting between doses and reduced sex drive. A few patients notice mild acne.
Stop the tablets and get urgent medical advice if you develop calf pain or swelling, chest pain, breathlessness, sudden severe headache, vision changes, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Your pharmacist will talk these through before supply and flag anything in your history that makes side effects more likely.
Norethisterone can delay periods for healthy individuals aged 16+ who are not pregnant. This is not for anyone under 16, pregnant, or with certain health issues.
These include cancer, blood clots, strokes, liver disease, or undiagnosed vaginal bleeding. Other exclusions include hypertension, migraines with aura, severe depression, anxiety, psychosis, breastfeeding, and diabetes complications.
VTE risk factors include obesity (BMI >30), smoking, age over 45, SLE, and dyslipoproteinaemia. Some medications can lower the effectiveness of norethisterone. These include certain anticonvulsants, rifampicin, and St. John’s wort.
Remember, norethisterone is not a contraceptive; continue using your usual method. If you’re on the combined pill, ask about delaying your period by using two packs back-to-back. If treatment isn’t safe, we’ll explain why and guide you to the appropriate NHS service. Consultations without treatment are free.
Two GPhC-registered independent prescribers work on site, so your assessment is clinical rather than a tick-box online questionnaire.
You do not need a surgery appointment. Most patients are assessed and supplied on the same day they book or walk in.
Three consulting rooms mean you are never discussing your cycle at the counter or waiting for a room to free up.
Chapel Pharmacy has served Farnborough from Chapel Lane for three decades, with a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Google.
Prices start at £16 with the consultation included. Nothing is added afterwards, and there is no subscription to cancel.
Our Three Counties Travel Clinic can sort vaccines, antimalarials, and period delay in a single visit before you fly.
Free parking outside and a bus stop directly in front of the pharmacy, with step-free access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
If you’re interested in any of the services we offer, you’re welcome to reach out. We’d love to see you at Chapel Pharmacy.
Come and see why families in Farnborough have trusted Chapel Pharmacy with their health for over 30 years. We're here for you.
Yes, limited parking is available. The Fox Inn pub also has ample parking space across the road.
A bus stop is located near the front of the pharmacy.
Trusted by generations of families in Farnborough.
Absolutely amazing all very polite and helpful. I had a dizzy/ faint spell (due to a condition I have) in there collecting my son’s medicine and she was brilliant with me& waited till my numbers went back to normal and made sure me and my son was both okay. I can’t thank them enough.
Can not belive how helpful and cheerful all the staff are, always greet you with a smile,great chemist everything you need, and if they havent got it, they will get it for you, nothing is ever a bother! 😁, thank you for all your help and advice. …
Lansdowne Pharmacy are absolutely fantastic, they go above and beyond to ensure prescriptions are dealt with correctly and ready for collection or delivery under regular and unforeseen circumstances. The ladies at the front are always friendly, polite and so so helpful.
Excellent local pharmacy. Pharmacist is extremely helpful. Even sorted out my prescription with the surgery.
Highly recommended
Take it as soon as you remember, then carry on as normal. A missed or late dose can trigger spotting or an early bleed.
No. It has no lasting effect on fertility. Normal ovulation and your usual cycle return once the course finishes and your period arrives.
Yes. Alcohol does not stop norethisterone working. Drink sensibly, since sickness or vomiting could mean a dose is not absorbed.
Some patients find the first period after treatment is a little heavier or longer. It normally settles back to your usual pattern next cycle.
Occasional use is fine. However, there’s a limit: no more than one course every six months. If you need to delay again during that time, we will refer you to your GP instead of providing a second course.
Expert tips from your local clinical team.
Book online and take a protected slot at a time that suits you, or walk in and speak to a pharmacist today.
