From Saturday, women using Hormone Replacement Therapy will be able to apply for the new HRT prescription pre-payment certificate. This will enable women to get a year's worth of HRT prescriptions for the cost of two single prescription charges (currently £18.70).Those with an existing exemption will still get their HRT for free.
Women will be able to apply online for a digital or paper version of the certificate. When collecting HRT products, patients will be able to simply show the certificate to the pharmacist and complete the exemption declaration on the NHS prescription form. The certificate will be valid for 12 months. It can be used against a list of HRT prescription items with no limit on the number of items it can be used for, such as patches, tablets and topical preparations.
The introduction of the certificate delivers on a year one priority for the Women’s Health Strategy for England. Published last summer, the strategy sets out an ambitious new agenda for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls and to improve how the health and care system listens to women.
Michael Tomlinson said:
I'm really pleased that the Government is making HRT cheaper for women experiencing menopause symptoms. All women go through the menopause, and a significant number have difficult symptoms which can be relieved with HRT. This certificate will benefit thousands of women, saving them money every year.
You can get the certificate from some pharmacies, and you can apply online here: Get HRT Prepayment Certificate
The Minister for Women Maria Caufield said:
“Around three quarters of women will experience menopause symptoms, with a quarter experiencing severe symptoms – which can seriously impact their quality of life.
“Reducing the cost of HRT is a huge moment for improving women’s health in this country, and I am proud to be announcing this momentous step forward.
“In our Women’s Health Strategy, we made menopause a top priority – by making HRT more accessible, we’re delivering on our commitment to women.”
