Free NHS Prescriptions

In some situations the NHS will not charge you for a prescription, please check the bullet points below to see if you meet the criteria outlined. If any of the below apply, you will not need to pay for prescriptions through Medilink® but you may still need to provide your exemption certificate details.

If at the time of ordering any of the below apply to you then the NHS prescription will have no charge:

• are 60 or over
• are under 16
• are 16-18 and in full-time education
• are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
• have a specified medical condition such as permanent stoma and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx
• hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability

Also, you are entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner – including civil partner – receive, or you're under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

• Income Support
• Income-based
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Universal Credit and meet the criteria

If you have any queries regarding prescription charges or the Medical Exemption certificates, you can call the NHS directly on –0300 330 1341. Alternatively, you can visit their dedicated web page https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/get-help-with-prescription-costs/

You can also speak to your GP or your Stoma or Urology Nurse for advice.

Prescription Forms

New prescription forms have been introduced to help eligible patients correctly claim free NHS prescriptions and avoid penalty charges.

The suite of FP10 prescription forms have been changed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The exemption boxes on the back of the prescription form(s) have been updated which will make it easier for patients to claim the exemptions to which they are entitled.

The updated FP10 forms include a new exemption box U for patients who are in receipt of Universal Credit and meet the criteria for free NHS prescriptions. Not all benefits entitle people to free prescriptions. Patients can find out if they’re entitled to free NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and help with other NHS costs using the online eligibility checker.

The changes will reduce confusion for patients.

The main changes are:

• A new exemption box U for patients who are in receipt of Universal Credit and meet the criteria for free help with health costs.
• Removal of box X “was prescribed free-of-charge contraceptives” from the paper FP10/FP10DT (token).
• Exemption box G ‘has a War Pension exemption certificate’ has been re-worded to ‘Prescription Exemption Certificate issued by the Ministry of Defence’. This is to better represent the exemption certificates issued by Veterans UK and those entitled to an award under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).
• Combination of the age exemption boxes A “is under 16 years of age” and C “is 60 years of age or over”. These exemptions will be a single exemption category, A “is 60 years of age or over or is under 16 years of age”.
• Introduction of a new prescriber endorsement ‘FS’ for ‘free supply of sexual health treatment’ to enable prescribers to endorse prescriptions for STIs to indicate to dispensers that the patient should not be charged.

The new paper FP10, and corresponding hospital outpatient prescription forms, will be put into circulation from January 2020. Prescribers and dispensers are encouraged to continue to use the old FP10 form until stocks of it run out. The NHSBSA will process both old and new versions of the form during the transition period.

Changes are also being made to the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) and prescribing and dispensing systems as soon as possible.

Full guidance and information is available on the NHSBSA website: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-forms