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How much does a prescription cost in the UK? NHS and private pricing explained
In England, there are two main types of prescription. Prescriptions issued on the NHS and private prescriptions and this is what they cost.
The current cost of an NHS prescription for 2024-2025 is £9.90 per item (an increase of 25p per item from the previous year).
Private prescriptions can be written by any doctor in the UK. The cost of private prescriptions in the UK vary depending on the treatment.
You’ll usually pay a fee for the consultation with a private doctor, and a fee to the issuing pharmacy which will include the full cost of the medicine.
Our Online Doctor can issue private prescriptions for a range of health conditions, depending on the outcome of your free consultation. This consultation will consider your health history, treatment preferences, and the clinician’s assessment before making a recommendation.
NHS prescription costs explained
NHS prescriptions are issued by healthcare providers delivering NHS-run services such as your local GP and NHS dentist. There is a flat fee in place for all medicines prescribed on the NHS. No matter what the price of an individual item, you’ll pay the same for every medicine available through the NHS.
NHS prescription costs and fees are usually reviewed annually.
What help is available for NHS prescription costs?
Depending on your circumstances, you might qualify for free NHS prescriptions. Our guide to free prescriptions will help you to work out if you’re eligible.
If you don’t qualify for free NHS prescriptions, there’s support available to help with the costs of your prescriptions in the UK. Find out if a prescription prepayment certificate could save you money in our guide.
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What our patients say
Rated excellent with 400,000+ reviews as of October 2023
Worry free service
This service has taken all the worry out of ordering repeat perscriptions. They remind you when perscriptions are due & they are posted & within a couple of days they are there on your door mat. Exemplary service. Thank you.
Hester Pendino
Great service
Great service. With good liaison with my GP. And order always efficiently delivered. So much easier than queueing at the local chemist. I started using Pharmacy2U during the pandemic and no turning back.
Hilary Simpson
The help line staff were excellent
The help line staff were excellent, they understood my issue straightaway, told me they would need to speak to a line manager and would get back to me. The same person got back to me later in the day with an answer, issue resolved
Linda Lauren
Great user friendly service
This is a very easy service to use.
I order my medication online from the drs it goes straight through to Pharmacy2U they confirm they have received it and it is sent out for delivery. With emails keeping me informed of its status all along the way.Neil Etheridge
I get reminders when I need to order
I get reminders when I need to order. It is easy to order and I get updates to let me know how my order is progressing. Within a very short time it is put out for delivery. It is then up to Royal Mail to post it through my letterbox.
Janet Tittensor
Losing the monthly stress
Being able to request my prescription from the doctors and knowing that the items I require will be delivered to my door without delay. Originally I would go to the pharmacy after a 5 day wait to find that my prescription was not ready, so thank you for making my life easier.
Pat Cruttenden
Excellent service
Excellent service. Timely as ever. Prompted by P2U to re-order. From sending order to receipt was 7 days. Excellent as it includes GP’s approval sign off.
Ceijag
Download the Pharmacy2U app
Effortlessly manage your NHS repeat prescriptions anywhere, anytime with the Pharmacy2U app. Free to download and use, you can request the medicines you need and set handy reminders to reorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
A private prescription in the UK is typically valid for six months from the date it was prescribed by a doctor. This will apply to both the first prescription issued and then any repeats issued, as long as the first repeat prescription is dispensed within that first six-month period.
No. People over 60 will have to pay for their private prescriptions. The cost of this is based on the cost of the medication prescribed and a dispensing fee, which will be set by the pharmacy who are dispensing the prescription. The total cost will be paid for by either the patient or their medical insurance company.
You do not have to pay for NHS prescriptions if you are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, if you have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MATEX). To get your MATEX, apply for a certificate by speaking to your doctor, midwife, or health visitor, or by using the digital maternity exemption service.
The certificate expires 12 months after your due date or after the date your baby was born. If you find out later that you were eligible for free prescriptions, you can apply for a refund if you apply for one within three months of your prescription payment.
Hospital inpatients do not have to pay for any medication they receive while they are in the hospital. For any other medication you normally receive, you will pay for the prescriptions as normal or use your free medical exemption certificate if you have one.