Hundreds of thousands of women seeking menopause treatment can now get cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT), in a new scheme being introduced from April 1.
The move, described as ‘a major step forward for menopausal women in prioritising their health and wellbeing’ will see those prescribed HRT able to access a year’s worth of treatment for just under £20.
Which, in the current cost of living crisis, could save someone up to £205 a year, given that prescriptions for the treatment cost £9.35 – more, if a woman requires more than one form of treatment.
In order to access this, you’ll need an HRT prescription prepayment certificate – but how can you get one of these?
Here’s what you need to know…
How to get an HRT prescription prepayment certificate
If you want to get an HRT prescrption prepayment certificate there are a number of ways you can do this.
- Online on the NHS Business Service Authority website
- In person at some pharmacies – check with your local to see if they offer this
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing, from May 25 you can use the textphone (or minicom) to contact the NHS Business Services Authority using the Text Relay service. Dial 18001 then the relevant phone number
- The NHS Business Services Authority also offers a telephone translation service and can provider documents in large print or Braille on request. Patients can call 0300 330 2089 for help and support.
How much does the HRT pre-payment certificate cost?
The HRT PPC certificate will cost you just £18.70.
This will allow women to get a list of different HRT prescription items, including patches, tablets and topical preparations.
The PPC is valid for 12 months and you can use it as many times as you need during that time period.
The move has been named ’an important first step in addressing the challenges and inequalities faced in accessing menopause care and treatment’.
Around 15% of women aged 45-64 in England are currently prescribed HRT, according to Department of Health figures – and it’s estimated that cheaper costs for treatment will help around 400,000 women dealing with symptoms such as hot flushes and vaginal dryness.
How to use your HRT pre-payment prescription certificate
Once you have the certificate, you can ask your prescriber for your HRT items on a separate prescription to any other medicines you are prescribed. This should be one prescription per item, to ensure they can be processed correctly at the pharmacy.
It does not cover all HRT medicines, so make sure yours is included before getting the certificate. If the treatment you are receiving is not mentioned in this list you should check with your healthcare provider as to whether it is included.
Before buying a certificate you should also check that you are not already entitled to free prescriptions on the NHS and other help with health costs, using the website’s eligibility checker.
Likewise, if you take medicines for other conditions, you may save more by buying a certificate which covers all of these, in addition to HRT treatment.
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