2. Prescription charges
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2. Prescription charges
Prescriptions are free in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales but cost £9.90 in England (2026/27) for each item, so you should take advantage of exemptions and prepayment certificates that save money on frequent prescriptions. If you are a hospital outpatient, exemptions from charges made by hospitals for prescribed drugs are the same as those listed below. Patients living in Scotland or Wales but registered with a GP in England can apply for a free ‘entitlement card’ that confirms their entitlement to free prescriptions. Medicine is free if it is to treat a sexually transmitted disease.
Exemptions
Who is automatically exempt? – Your prescriptions are free if you are in any of the groups listed in 1 above or are:
    ■aged under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education; or
    ■aged 60 or over.
Who can get an exemption certificate? – You can get an exemption certificate for free NHS prescriptions if you:
    ■are pregnant or have given birth (including stillbirth) in the last
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