Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs)

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC. The charge for a single prescription item is £7.40, whereas a three month PPC will cost you £29.10 and a 12 month PPC £104.00.

Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030

Note: You must be resident in England to purchase a PPC. Some people can get free prescriptions on age, income or medical grounds. Check here http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HelpWithHealthCosts.aspx to see if you can get free prescriptions before buying a PPC.

A PPC covers you for all of your own NHS prescriptions, no matter how many items you need.

Before your PPC arrives

If you have to pay a prescription charge while you are waiting for your PPC, you may get a refund as long as you have an NHS receipt and refund form FP57. The pharmacist or dispensing doctor can only issue an FP57 at the time you pay the prescription charge - they cannot issue you one later. You can claim the prescription charge(s) back up to three months after paying. The FP57 tells you what to do. But remember the PPC itself can only be backdated by one month.

Pre-Payment Certificate Application Process - http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/2131.aspx

Refunds of Pre-Payment Certificates - http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/2132.aspx