Posted 2 days ago

Buy an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate before the May price increase (England)

buy-prescription-prepayment-certificate.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/

****Check here first to see if you qualify for free prescriptions***:

nhs.uk/nhs…ns/


Save money on NHS prescriptions by prepaying for them.

You can pay a set price for prescriptions for 3 or 12 months, no matter how many you need.

A prescription costs £9.65 per item, but prepaying for an unlimited number of prescriptions is:

  • £31.25 for 3 months
  • £111.60 for 12 months (or 10 Direct Debit instalments of £11.16)

How it works

We can send your certificate details by email, or you can print them at the end of the service.

Show your certificate details when you collect your prescription. You can collect prescriptions straight away, if your start date is today or earlier.

Charges for prescriptions and prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) will increase by 2.59% (rounded to the nearest 5 pence) from 1 May 2024. Charges for wigs and fabric supports will increase by the same rate.

A prescription will cost £9.90 for each medicine or appliance dispensed, an increase of 25 pence. The 3-month PPC will cost £32.05 and the 12-month PPC will cost £114.50.  

More than an average of 1 prescription a month and a prepayment certificate will pay its way - unlimited prescriptions for either 3 or 12 months.

An average of 2 prescriptions a month and it's a saving of £100+.
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  1. sdaniaal's avatar
    Why is this a thing?
    Mia_Johnson's avatar
    For people like myself, who have multiple prescriptions, this generally works out the cheapest way. It’s about £11 a month and covers all the prescriptions you need. I have 4 prescriptions every 3 months, so saves me approximately £44-£45 a year than if I were to buy them separately. Also, if I needed anything else prescribing in this time, it would be covered also.
  2. Watershed's avatar
    I get the 3 month ones and time my 2 month med requests for the start, middle and end of the time. Getting 6 months of meds on a 3 month thing.
    Takes a bit of planning but pretty easy.
    Mark_Hickman's avatar
    I wish i could even talk to a dr let alone get a prescription, services are a joke these days
  3. mksst's avatar
    Have to heat this, pharmacist by profession... not gonna lie disappointed by the May price rise but inevitable. Worth getting around the price rise by using this, will recommend this to everyone.
    1616french's avatar
    I pay monthly already.
    Will that be increased?
  4. Newbold's avatar
    Author
    Check here first to see if you qualify for free prescriptions:


    nhs.uk/nhs…ns/
  5. M.B.L.'s avatar
    My annual expires in September, so can't take advantage of the lower price, if only I could stack them, how much is it going up by?
    GazP's avatar
    You can set the start date, try setting it for September
  6. ashmac's avatar
    Still gets me when I’ve been docs and they give me two medicines I have to pay for both rather than treatment for one illness
    JDB_78's avatar
    Why? Do the NHS pay the big pharma companies per illness or per drug?
  7. landros1's avatar
    Why are prescriptions FREE in Scotland?
    Hiptobesquare's avatar
    Because we have the Tories in England and in Scotland they have the SNP.
  8. roscoredbull's avatar
    Or move to Scotland and its free
    OggyUK's avatar
    The caveat being you have to live in a third world country
  9. JDUK2020's avatar
    Some silly comments on here about savings. My prescritions come to £247.50 in a 3 month period. £31.25 for a preymanent certificate so its obvious these can save you £hundreds over the course of a year potentially.
  10. RBH's avatar
    [deleted]
    GenericScottishGuy41's avatar
    I exercise regularly, I'm muscular, resting heart rate in the mid sixties, 41 years old with visible abs, I only eat whole foods, supplement magnesium, cod liver oil and vitamin 2 every day, intermittent fasting, hike and climb regularly, 20k+ steps per day, is there something I'm missing out doing to fix my from birth genetic nerve condition that has caused me chronic pain for decades of my life I'm missing out or should I stick with the prescription painkillers that are a lifeline to my being able to function. (edited)
  11. ceirea's avatar
    So if I required an antibiotic prescription for tonsillitis it would cost me £31.25?

    I've lived here since 2012 and only ever seen the doc during my 1 pregnancy and very luckily have never needed to visit since only for daughters routine vaccines
    Wali_S's avatar
    No u get charged 9.65 per drug u get, so if they give you 2 different anti biotic it’s 2 charges if they only give u 1 it’s 1 charge.
  12. JDUK2020's avatar
    If you are on several repeat medications this makes absolute sense. My 10 items would cost me £96.50. If I have 2 prescriptons in a 3 month period double that. Even if you are on 2-3 items monthly it still makes sense. If you are fit and healthy and only require an occasional prescription from the GP then its not for you.
  13. porky232's avatar
    What happens if you sign up for the monthly direct debit and you stop needing pills. What is the process to cancel? (edited)
    enclavemarine's avatar
    If you buy 12 months and cancel early you will still be billed the full amount as you have purchased 12 months.
  14. landros1's avatar
    So the English are paying for stuff (like FREE hospital parking among other things) that the rest of the UK get for free?
  15. joshm's avatar
    1000 degrees (and counting) for a £2.90 saving over a 12 month period

    Enjoy that ~25p per month in your pocket 😃 (edited)
    GazP's avatar
    I've been paying individually for 3 prescriptions per month, so roughly £30 * 12 = £360 a year.

    By getting this PPC for £111 I'll be saving around £250 a year...
  16. paulgovier's avatar
    Move to Wales or Scotland and get them for free!
    tammma's avatar
    There’s a reason why tax rates are different there
  17. misterboumsong's avatar
    Geeze I'm in Scotland my medicine cabinet is bulging
    Justintime12's avatar
    You're not wrong!


    Chronic crisis - Scotland the drugs capital of Europe

    While there was a decline in the overall death rate in 2022, Scotland's annual number of drug deaths has risen particularly sharply over the last ten years.

    By European standards, the country is a stunning outlier.

    Scotland's 248 drug deaths per million people puts it far above the European countries with the next highest rates: the UK as a whole (88 per million), Finland (79 per million), Ireland (73 per million) and Sweden (64 per million), according to figures from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
  18. crazy_b's avatar
    A saving of 80p for 3 months wow
    OhTheMajesty's avatar
    That's food and drink to the HUKD massif
  19. avidmuffin's avatar
    Actually need to sort mine out, thanks for the reminder!!
  20. trojan34's avatar
    Everyone may now actually realise how lucky they have been. Only once it is taken away it is noted.
    Matthew_W's avatar
    And of course we never get it back - we only pay for dentures and spectacles to pay for the Korean War....
  21. Matthew_HallcCq's avatar
    Or move to Scotland:)
    Rellik088's avatar
    And pay higher taxes.

    You still pay for it either way.
  22. Peter99's avatar
    I have a slightly under active thyroid.
    I didn't have any symptoms but it showed up in a blood test.

    I was surprised to learn I now get free prescriptions for life, even though I don't have any financial issues.
    The strange thing is I now get all prescriptions free, not just the thyroid tablets, which are the lowest dose possible.

    It doesn't make sense but that's how it works.
  23. adroit69's avatar
    Can this be shared for multiple people or just for one person?
    littlesheepy's avatar
    It’s per person
  24. JDUK2020's avatar
    If you are on regular repeat medications these PPC's make absolute sense. I used them for years. Always bought the 3 monthly. Most GP's will allow you to double up on regular prescriptions.
    Make sure you put in your final prescription request during the PPC at least a week prior to its expiry. That should keep you going for 2 months. Apply for the next 3 month PPC 1 week before your meds run out and request a new repeat from your GP.
    All this works well if you are on several medications and will add months to what you might pay for a yearly.
    leyloleylo's avatar
    Apply online for your next 3 month PPC on the day that your new prescription is ready to collect from the pharmacy as you get it instantly via email. Last time, I did it in the queue in Boots! 
  25. Oliviasdad's avatar
    Or >60s get it free. Ironic when they suck up all the cost having put the least amount in. Don’t know they’re born. Triple lock dragging us down too….
    ultimanthem101's avatar
    I can't wait to retire when I'm 92, the government has lost/spent my pension and free healthcare doesn't exist
  26. Justintime12's avatar
    I have two prescriptions per month. I just write on the notes online that I'm unemployed but can't get benefits (true)

    Always get 2 months of one prescription (statins) and 6-8 months of the other one (eye drops)
  27. Ross81's avatar
    £111 for 12 months, bargain compared to the extra tax I pay for "free prescriptions"
  28. AlexPatrick's avatar
    So this is the best deal in the UK atm. Sign of the times🇬🇧 📉
  29. Iyarkai's avatar
    All this heat for 80p for 3 month
    DealHunterz's avatar
    Exactly I thought it was going up loads
  30. junior191's avatar
    Paracetamol in home bargains 39 pence chemist charges you £3.00. no different. Con with a lot of drugs .
    davek's avatar
    What are you on about? £3.00 for paracetamol in a pharmacy? suggest you find a more reasonable chemist to visit.
    And w
  31. GHRocker's avatar
    Buying a house down England after living in Scotland for 3 years, will miss prescriptions being "free".
  32. hugekebab's avatar
    This is a really useful post thanks so much - ordered.
  33. fwd's avatar
    The price changes do not appear to be significant. The 3 month PPC is rising less than £1. Maybe not one to rush to buy.
  34. wackyraces's avatar
    Have done this for a lot of years now. Saves me a fortune on needed medicine
  35. morty's avatar
    Bargain.

    Even after the price increase it is still very good vlaue for large % of people.
  36. OggyUK's avatar
    This is a godsend, when you're on red list drugs required to keep you alive for the rest of your life, you don't want to be paying £10 a script!

    It'd actually be cheaper to pay the prescription for me if the transplant centre also issued my normal script, but as I have to get them from different pharmacies, the cost goes up exponentially
  37. amygreen79677's avatar
    I don't understand prescription charges, we already pay for the NHS via our taxes and NI, so any and all prescribed medications should be free. Just my opinion.

    But this certificate is a good thing to get to save money on them.
  38. DealHugger's avatar
    "Charges for prescriptions and prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) will increase by 2.59%"

    But you can find saving accounts that offer 4%-7% interest rate at the moment. I don't understand the logic behind this deal.
    idbsjk's avatar
    I don't understand your logic to be fair... Put £111 in a savings account instead and don't take your prescriptions for a year??? :/ (edited)
  39. Andrew_Western's avatar
    A shame the rest of the country doesn't pay for prescriptions us in England always have to cough up
    Bolto911's avatar
    We do pay for prescriptions in the form of additional income taxation
  40. Maloney68's avatar
    Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't even aware there was an increase. Much appreciated
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