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Access to care: on-call doctors and pharmacies
This sheet explains how to find an on-call doctor. It also explains how on-call pharmacies work.
Key points of the sheet
- An on-call doctor (médecin de garde) is a general practitioner. He sees patients in the evening, at night, at weekends and on public holidays. He treats urgent but not life-threatening health problems.
- In this way, hospital emergency services are not overloaded. They are first of all for life-threatening emergencies.
- Depending on the case, the on-call doctor can come to your home or see the patient in an on-call centre. He can also give medical advice by phone if a consultation is not necessary.
- To contact an on-call doctor, call 15 (SAMU). You can also call the specific number for out-of-hours care (permanence des soins) set up in your region.
- An on-call pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) stays open when the others are closed. Pharmacies are chosen in turn. It makes it possible, in particular, to get medicines urgently.
- To find the nearest on-call pharmacy, contact the gendarmerie or the police (17). You can also call 32 37 (0.35 € per minute).
Words to know
- on-call doctor (médecin de garde)
- It is a general practitioner who sees patients outside the opening hours of medical practices.
- on-call pharmacy (pharmacie de garde)
- It is a pharmacy chosen in turn to stay open when the others are closed.
- SAMU
- You call the SAMU on 15 to contact an on-call doctor.
- out-of-hours care service (permanence des soins)
- A specific number for out-of-hours care is set up in your region.
- on-call centre (centre de garde)
- It is a place where the on-call doctor can see the patient.
Test yourself: 3 questions
What problems does the on-call doctor treat?
In French, the language of the exam: Quels problèmes le médecin de garde prend-il en charge ?
The on-call doctor treats urgent but not life-threatening problems. Life-threatening emergencies go first to hospital.
How are on-call pharmacies chosen?
In French, the language of the exam: Comment les pharmacies de garde sont-elles désignées ?
The sheet says that pharmacies are chosen in turn.
What can an on-call doctor do, depending on the case?
In French, the language of the exam: Que peut faire un médecin de garde, selon le cas ?
Depending on the case, the on-call doctor can come to the patient's home.
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More in this topic (Health)
- Access to healthcare: free care centres
- Access to healthcare: emergency services and numbers
- Getting covered: the steps to access universal health protection (PUMa)
Source
Sheet “Accès aux soins : les médecins et pharmacies de garde” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.