NHS
PRESCRIPTION
IMPORTANT NOTES
We dispense all NHS prescriptions. We keep and manufacture a comprehensive stock of prescription medicines and use a fast and efficient wholesaler service to enable us to fill all prescriptions promptly.
Please hand your prescription in at the pharmacy counter and the dispensary team will prepare your medication. A pharmacist and trained healthcare staff are always at hand at all our branches to provide expert advice in a discrete and confidential manner.
MORE ABOUT NHS PRESCRIPTIONS
PRESCRIPTION COSTS
The current prescription charge in England is £8.80 per item unless you meet an exemption category, in which case your medication would be free. For the latest information on prescription costs in the UK Please visit the NHS Health Costs Webpage.
FREE NHS PRESCRIPTION ENTITLEMENTS ?
You are entitled to free NHS prescriptions at the time of dispensing if you:
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are under 16
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are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education
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are 60 or over
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have a valid maternity exemption certificate
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have a valid medical exemption certificate
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hold a valid war pension exemption certificate
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are named on a current HC2 charges certificate
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are prescribed free of charge contraceptives
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get income support
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get income based jobseekers allowance
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are entitled to or named on a NHS tax credit exemption certificate
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have a partner that gets pension credit guarantee credit
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You are also entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner (including civil partners) are named on, or are entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate or a valid HC2 certificate (full help with health costs), or you receive either:
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Income Support
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Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
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Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
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For full details of exemption statuses and the criteria for these exemptions please see the NHS Health Costs Webpage
PRE PAYMENT CERTFICATE (PPC)
If you are not entitled to free prescriptions and are collecting more than 1 item every month or 12 items every year, you may find it cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC).
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The prescription charge in England is £8.80 per item and a PPC costs:
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£29.10 for 3 months
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£104 for 12 months (as a single transaction or 10 monthly instalments)
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How much can you save:
You can order a PPC by completing an FP95 form which can be collected from any one of our branches, by visiting the NHS site or by calling 0845 850 0030.
If you are in the process of filling out your form or are waiting for your PPC to arrive, you will have to pay the prescription charge to avoid charges from the NHS. However, we can issue you with an NHS receipt form which will allow you to get a refund once your card has arrived (but please do make sure your PPC is backdated to the date of your receipt).
It is important to note that a pharmacist can only issue an NHS receipt at the time you pay a prescription charge, not at a later date, so please do let staff know that you are waiting upon your PPC. You can claim for the refund up to three months after paying at any Pharmacy.
Also, if you have a PPC and it is due to expire soon, please remember to apply for a new certificate in good time. If you don’t, you will again have to pay prescription charges when your old PPC runs out. If this does happen, again we can issue an NHS refund form whilst you wait for your new PPC, but this will be an inconvenience to you.