Prescription Prepayment Certificate: Cost and How to Buy

The Direct Debit option is only available for a 12-month PPC, and it is not available at pharmacies. Ten instalments of £11.45 make up the £114.50.

Each item on a prescription is charged separately, so a prescription with 3 medicines on it costs the charge 3 times. This table compares paying £9.90 an item with each certificate at the point where the certificate becomes cheaper.

The NHS Business Services Authority, which issues PPCs, says someone needing 2 prescribed medicines a month saves £123 a year with a 12-month PPC, and someone needing 3 a month saves more than £241 a year.

A PPC covers all your NHS prescriptions, including NHS dental prescriptions, no matter how many items you need. It does not cover the cost of other health items, such as wigs and fabric supports.

An HRT PPC covers an unlimited number of some HRT medicines for 12 months, including when they are prescribed for something other than menopause symptoms. It covers only those HRT medicines, so if you get other prescriptions too, compare the cost of each option.

Check if you can get free prescriptions before you apply for a PPC. Our guide to free prescriptions and eye tests lists who qualifies.

• Online: the PPC starts from the day you apply unless you ask for a different start date, which must be within 1 month before or after the date of your application.
• By phone on the PPC order line, 0300 330 1341: it is valid from the day you call unless you ask otherwise.
• At some pharmacies, which may be able to sell you a 3-month PPC or the HRT PPC, valid from the day you buy it.

You can receive your PPC instantly by email, or your paper certificate arrives within 10 working days. A PPC is valid from the day you apply for it even if the paper copy takes a couple of days to arrive.

If you pay for a prescription while you are waiting for your PPC, ask the pharmacist for an NHS refund form (FP57) when you pay, because you cannot get one later. You need to apply for the refund within 3 months of paying the charge, and your PPC must cover the date you paid.

If you become entitled to free NHS prescriptions while your PPC is still valid, you may be able to claim a full or partial refund of the certificate. If the certificate holder dies, tell the NHS Business Services Authority and return the PPC, as a refund may be due in certain circumstances.

Usually not, because prescriptions are free in all three nations. All prescriptions dispensed in Northern Ireland are free of charge for everyone. If you are registered with a GP in Wales you are entitled to free prescriptions from a pharmacist in Wales.

In Scotland, the 2011 regulations abolished prescription charges for Scottish prescription forms presented to pharmacists in Scotland. Our rights guides cover other NHS costs, including NHS dental charges.