Source: CPE 11.8.2025
The CPE reports that, “The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has seen an increase in the number of prescriptions from patients using the “HRT only prescription prepayment certificate” prescription charge exemption category for products that are not covered by the HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC).
In the 12 months between June 2024 and May 2025, the NHSBSA received over 200k prescriptions that were claimed using the HRT PPC exemption category, even though the prescriptions did not include any approved HRT PPC medicines. Sertraline is the most common medicine for which patients are incorrectly claiming a prescription charge exemption using the HRT PPC category. Other examples (in alphabetical order) where patients have used the HRT PPC exemption reason for products that are NOT on the approved list of medicines covered by the HRT PPC include:
Amitriptyline 10mg tablets
Amlodipine 5mg tablets
Amoxicillin 500mg capsules
Atorvastatin 20mg tablets
Citalopram 10mg tablets
Citalopram 20mg tablets
Fluoxetine 20mg capsules
Lansoprazole 30mg gastro-resistant capsules
Medroxyprogesterone 10mg tablets (Provera®)
Methadone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free (Physeptone®)
Naproxen 500mg tablets
Nitrofurantoin 100mg modified-release capsules
Omeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules
Ramipril 2.5mg capsules
Sertraline 100mg tablets
Sertraline 50mg tablets
Sumatriptan 50mg tablets
Testosterone 40.5mg/2.5g transdermal gel unit dose sachets (Testogel®)”
The list of HRT medicines covered by the HRT PPC is published in Part XVI of the Drug Tariff.
Patients can check the NHSBSA website for an up-to-date information.
The CPE continues with, “The NHSBSA will continue to process the prescription in accordance with the exemption or charge status declared by the patient. However, NHSBSA’s Exemption Checking Services (ECS) carry out checks on patient claims and if they cannot confirm that a patient was entitled to claim free NHS prescriptions, the patient will be sent an enquiry letter asking them to confirm their entitlement. DHSC advise that patients found to have wrongly claimed help from the NHS with the cost of their NHS prescriptions will face a penalty charge and, in some cases, prosecution.”
