If you didn’t already know, there is a great way to pay annually for the cost of your Hormone Replacement Therapy prescriptions on the NHS. Since April 2023 women in England who are prescribed HRT have been able to access an annual prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) designed especially for HRT medicines.
This means that you no longer need to pay for every single prescription throughout the year. Instead for a one off annual fee of £19.80 you can get as many HRT related prescriptions as you need for the 12 months.
How does this work?
The HRT PPC covers any listed HRT medication – patches, gels, sprays, tablets or pessaries. You can pay the one off fee of £19.80 and you won’t be charged at the pharmacy for each individual HRT item. This certificate lasts for 12 months and can be used as often as needed within that time.
Why is this helpful?
For many women HRT is a long term treatment which means regular prescriptions. Without the PPC the cost could quickly add up with each prescription currently priced at £9.90 (per item). Having the annual certificate not only saves money but also takes away the stress of budgeting for monthly prescriptions.
How do you sign up?
You can apply online using the Government website Get a prescription prepayment certificate: If you’ve been prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – GOV.UK or by visiting your local pharmacy. Once purchased you will get a certificate number that you can show at the pharmacy whenever you collect your prescription but remember that this only applies to HRT medicines on the approved list – but this list includes most of the commonly prescribed treatments.
Access to affordable HRT is a big step forward in supporting women’s health. For many, HRT is life changing, improving quality of sleep, mood, bone health and quality of life. This annual subscription charge is designed to make sure cost is less of a barrier to those who need it.
So, if you are on HRT and haven’t signed up yet it is definitely worth looking into.
