Services
Dispensing Prescriptions
Page Contents
Overview
Free Prescriptions on the NHS
NHS Prescription Charges
Prescription Clinical Governance at P&S Chemist
P&S Chemist supplies medicines and appliances ordered on NHS prescriptions and private prescriptions (these are prescriptions for medication and appliances, that need to be paid for by yourself). Prescriptions are dispensed together with relevant information and advice, ensuring safe and effective use by patients and carers, and the maintenance of appropriate records in line with clinical requirements. For more information about our pharmacy's prescription dispensing clinical governance, please click here. If you require information about our Repeat Dispensing of prescriptions service, please click here.
Free Prescriptions on the NHS
You can receive free NHS prescriptions at P&S Chemist if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you are:
- 60 years of age or over
- Under sixteen
- 16 to 18 and are in full-time education
- Pregnant or have had a baby within the last 12 months with a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
- Long-term physically disabled preventing you from going out without help from another person, and a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
- In possession of a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your disability
- An NHS inpatient
You can also receive free NHS prescriptions if you or your partner, including your civil partner, receive:
- Income support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Pension Credit and/or Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit
If you have or are entitled to, or named on the following:
- A valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate, if you do not have a certificate, you can present your award notice when picking up your prescription. If you are in receipt of Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits with a disability element.
- A valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2). Although, those people who are named on an NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) may also qualify for free prescriptions.
People with certain medical conditions can also receive free NHS prescriptions, with a medical exemption certificate (MedEx), these are credit-card in size, and are issued if you have:
- Cancer, including the effects of cancer, or the effects of your current or previous cancer treatment
- A permanent fistula, such as a laryngostomy, colostomy, ileostomy, or some renal dialysis fistulas, that require continuous surgical dressing or the use of an appliance
- A form of hypoadrenalism, for example, Addison's disease, for which specific substitution therapy is essential
- Diabetes insipidus or other forms of Hypopituitarism
- Diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Myxoedema (hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement)
- Epilepsy that requires continuous anticonvulsive therapy
- A continuing physical disability, in which you cannot go out without help from another individual. Temporary disabilities are not eligible for free NHS prescriptions, even though they can last several months.
For more information about receiving free NHS prescriptions see here. Still not sure if you qualify for free prescriptions or help with NHS costs? NHS England provides a simple way to find out, with the NHS eligibility checker, which can be found here. Finally, for more information about medical exemption certificates, please click here.
NHS Prescription Charges
Whilst many in the United Kingdom receive free NHS prescriptions, most adults in England must pay prescription charges. Except for some items, which are always free, such as contraceptives and medicines that are prescribed to hospital inpatients.
Currently, the prescription charge is £9.65 per item
Using a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) could save you money on the cost of NHS prescriptions. Essentially, a PPC will cover all your NHS prescriptions for a set price, saving money if you need more than 3 items in 3 months or 11 items in 12 months. For more information about PPCs, see here.
- a 3-month PPC costs £31.25
- the cost of a 12-month PPC is £111.60
Prescription Clinical Governance at P&S Chemist
- Our pharmacy maintains a record of advice given, and interventions and referrals made, where the pharmacist judges it clinically appropriate.
. - We ensure patients are able to use their medicines and appliances effectively.
- All our pharmacy staff at P&S Chemist provide information and advice to the patient on the safe use of their medicines or appliances and when appropriate broader advice to the patient on the medicine, for example, the possible side effects and significant interactions with other substances.
- Orders for NHS medicines and appliances and private prescriptions are dispensed for patients on demand.
- Records of all supplies will be maintained to facilitate continued care of the patient. Appropriate advice is given to the patient to enable them to utilise the medication or appliance to meet their personal need for information on the prescription item.
- Our patients are advised on the safe storage and keeping of medicines and are reminded that unwanted medicines should be returned to the pharmacy for safe destruction. Where deemed clinically appropriate by the pharmacist, records will be made of advice given and any interventions or referrals made.
- Patients are provided with a written note for any medicines that are owed, and they are informed when the medicine is expected to be available. A record of items owed is made in the patient's medication record.
Page last reviewed: 01/12/2022
Next review date: 01/12/2024