Paying for your medicine

This easy read is about paying for medicines on a prescription.

A prescription is a piece of paper where a doctor writes down what medicine they want you to have.  

A prescription can be on paper or electronic.

If you have a paper prescription, you will have to give it to a chemist.  

If you have an electronic prescription, the GP will email it to the chemist. 

The chemist gives you the medicine.

Most people have to pay for the medicine when they give the prescription to the chemist.

You do not have to pay for:

• contraception
  Contraception is something can help stop someone getting pregnant.
   
• medicine which a doctor puts on a prescription while you are staying in hospital.

You do not have to pay for medicine on your prescription if you are:

• under 16 years old

• 16, 17 or 18 years old and in full time education .

  You might need to prove that you are in full-time education.

• 60 years old or over

• pregnant or you have had a baby in the last 12 months.  

  You must have a maternity exemption certificate. 

You might not have to pay for medicine on a prescription if you get money from the War Pension Scheme. 

You must have a war pension exemption certificate.  The medicine must be for the disability that the War Pension Scheme money is for.

You might be able to get some help towards the cost of your medicine on a prescription if you are on certain benefits, or if you do not earn much money.

For more information about help towards the cost of your medicine on a prescription if you are on certain benefits, or if you do not earn much money, read our easy read about help with NHS health costs.

You can also read more information about help with NHS costs on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

You do not have to pay for medicine on a prescription if you have a medical exemption certificate because of your health condition.

You might be able to get a medical exemption certificate if you have a health condition like:

• diabetes
• problems with your adrenal glands
• problems with your thyroid glands
• epilepsy
• a physical disability
• cancer.

The full list of health conditions which mean you can apply for a medical exemption certificate are on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

The webpage also tells you how to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

If you pay for a lot of medicines on prescriptions, you might save some money if you buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC).

If you buy a PPC, you do not have to pay each time you give your prescription to the chemist.

There are 3 types of PPC:

• a PPC for 3 months
• a PPC for 12 months
• a PPC for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

HRT is medicine which replaces the female hormones in the body.  Hormones are chemicals which your body makes.

We have more information about the HRT PPC on our HRT PPC easy read page.

You can buy a PPC:

• online
• at some chemists.

For more information about how to get a PPC, go to the PPC page of the NHS Business Services Authority website.

If you have any questions about the PPC or need help to apply for a PPC, you can phone 0300 330 1341.

You can get help and advice about money and energy on our website at https://www.mencap.org.uk/help-and-advice/money-and-benefits/how-save-money

If you are worried about money or paying your bills, contact our  Learning Disability  Helpline:

• Call us Monday to Friday on 0808 808 1111 

• Email us at [email protected]

• Fill in our online form

This Easy Read was made with funding from the National Lottery  Community  Fund.