Are you overpaying for NHS prescriptions? How to save up to £40 a year

2023-01-04

Are you overpaying for your NHS prescriptions? Martin Lewis reveals how to save up to £40 a year with a pre-payment certificate if you buy regular or repeat medication

More than a million Britons overpaid for NHS prescriptions last year, data shows
Patients would have saved up to £40 with a prescription prepayment certificate
The so-called ‘season ticket’ costs £108.10 for unlimited prescriptions for a year

Consumer guru Martin Lewis has revealed how Britons can save up to £40 per year on their NHS prescriptions after more than a million ‘overpaid’ last year.

These patients would have saved up to £40 per year with a prescription prepayment certificate, known as a prescription ‘season ticket,’ new data has revealed.

The certificate costs £108.10 for unlimited prescriptions for a year – meaning anyone who buys 12 or more prescriptions at the current cost of £9.35 would benefit from the service.

Mr Lewis is now encouraging anyone who regularly gets prescriptions, including those with chronic illnesses, to spread the word about the scheme.

Britons can save up to £40 per year on their NHS prescriptions with a pre-payment certificate. Data shows that more than a million patients ‘overpaid’ for medications last year

Consumer guru Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, says the certificate costs £108.10 for unlimited prescriptions for a year – meaning anyone who buys 12 or more prescriptions at the current cost of £9.35 would benefit from the service

MoneySavingExpert.com sent a Freedom of Information request to the NHS Business Services Authority to find out how many people would have benefited from the scheme but may have missed out.

New data obtained through the request shows that 1,064,992 people bought at least 12 single prescriptions in 2021/22.

Anyone who bought 12 or more prescriptions at the current cost of £9.35 over the course of a year without a so-called season ticket was overpaying for prescriptions by £40 a year, the firm alleged.

‘England is the only one of the four UK nations that charges for prescriptions, and so it’s frustrating to hear that many people are still paying more than they need to – especially at a time when every penny counts towards bills,’ argued Mr Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com.

‘We need to spread the word to anyone who regularly gets prescriptions, including some with chronic illnesses, to check out prescription prepayment certificates.’

For a one-off payment, patients will receive unlimited prescriptions for either three months or a year.

Mr Lewis added: ‘My simple rule of thumb is, if you get more than one prescription a month, on average these ‘season tickets’ are the cheapest option, as they cap what you need to pay.’

‘So someone getting, say, two prescriptions a month would save over £100 a year. If you think that’s you, check it out now in case we see another price hike at the beginning of spring.’

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