NHS Prescription Information

The NHS Electronic Prescription Service enables prescribers such as your GP to send a prescription electronically to a pharmacy of your choice – your Nominated Pharmacy. This saves the NHS time and money, and is much quicker for you to get your prescription or track where it is. Nominations can be set by letting your pharmacist or GP know you preference, or choosing a nominated pharmacy on the NHS App or your NHS Account

Prescription Charges

NHS Prescription prices from 1st May 2024 are £9.90 per item. This fee is not per prescription, but per item prescribed. For example if you had a prescription for 2 medicines, you will pay £9.90 per medicine, so total £19.80.

Some items are always free, such as contraception. Other items attract two or more fees such as elastic hosiery or certain Hormone Replacement Therapy. Your pharmacist will be able to advise you when this is the case.

You may be exempt from paying for your prescription. The full list of exemptions is available on the NHS BSA website and covers people in certain age groups, with medical conditions or receiving certain benefits. Check what help you could get to pay for help costs on the NHS BSA website

Save money with an NHS Prepayment Certificate

If you pay for your prescriptions and know you will have to pay for a lot of prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a prepayment certificate (PPC). A bit like a season ticket, the PPC will cover all prescription items, including NHS Dental prescriptions, dispensed within a 3 or 12 month period.

Prices from 1st May 2024:

3 month prepayment certificate – £32.05 – will save you money if you get more than 3 items prescribed in 3 months.

12 month prepayment certificate- £114.50 (or 10 direct debits of £11.45*)- will save you money if you get more than 11 items prescribed in a year.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prepayment certificate  covering all HRT items prescribed in 12 months – £19.80 – will save you money if you get more than 2 prescribed qualifying HRT items in a year. Visit the NHS BSA website to check what HRT is covered by this PPC.

You can purchase a PPC:

* To pay by direct debit, please order NHS website using the link above.

Repeat Prescriptions

If you take a medicine regularly, you prescriber may have added this to you repeat prescription. This means you can order it each time you need it without having to make an appointment to see the GP.

You can re-order your repeat prescription

  •  Using the repeat form handed to you with your prescription – tick the items required and hand in to the pharmacy or GP surgery
  • On the NHS App or via your NHS Account
  • The service recommended by your GP such as Patient Access

Remember, your GP will need to approve each issue of a repeat prescription and the pharmacy will need time to dispense or order your medicines, so please allow at least 5 working days (based on GP lead time) before you require your medicine to pick it up.

SMS Text notifications can be sent to let you know your prescription is ready for collection. Please let a member of staff know you would like this service, so we can add this to your patient record.

Emergency Prescriptions

If you run out of your prescribed medicines or have lost them, and need them urgently, please speak to a pharmacist. Pharmacies can provide certain emergency medicines in some situations, but you may need to pay.

NHS App

Download for your smartphone using the links below