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Frequently Asked Questions – Free prescriptions

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Frequently Asked Questions – Free prescriptions

Pills spilled from a bottle

Who will be entitled to free prescriptions?

Everyone with a GP in Wales or Welsh patients who have an English GP and an entitlement card, will be able to have free prescriptions, so long as their medication is dispensed by a Welsh pharmacist. GPs, dentists and independent prescribers such as nurses and pharmacists will continue to assess on clinical grounds whether a patient will benefit from prescription medication to improve their health.

Along with free prescriptions, charges for wigs and appliances will be abolished. Patients who receive these services from English NHS Trust should have their costs met by their Local Health Board.

Who was entitled to free prescriptions previously?

Before the introduction of this legislation prescriptions were only free for:

  • people under 25;
  • people over 60;
  • people who have certain medical conditions; and
  • people who are eligible under the Low Income Scheme.

What happens if a Welsh patient presents their prescription at an English pharmacist for dispensing?

Patients who have their prescriptions dispensed outside Wales will be charged at the rates that apply in that country, unless they are entitled to free prescriptions under their regulations, such as due to age or certain medical conditions.

If a patient has already paid for their pre-payment certificate will they get a refund?

Yes. Patients will no longer need to have pre-payment certificates for prescriptions.

Patients who have unexpired months on their current certificate will be entitled to a refund for those months.

By announcing the abolition programme last year, it allowed patients to make informed choices about the type of certificate that they should purchase, and therefore minimise the number of refunds necessary.

However, Welsh patients who are exempt from paying for prescriptions under the current medical or maternity exemption system can still apply for a certificate to enable them to get their medication from dispensing pharmacies in England, if that is how they have usually done it.