UK patients save over £1 billion in prescription costs through PPCs

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has released an exploratory analysis estimating that patients could have faced prescription charges totaling approximately £837 million ($1.1 billion) in the 2023/24 period without the use of prescription prepayment certificates.

The report indicates that over three million PPCs were issued during this timeframe, with more than two-thirds being 12-month certificates - a figure that has seen consistent growth since 2018/19. Additionally, almost a million three-month certificates were distributed, marking an overall increase over the past five years.

Experimental analysis of NHS prescriptions data suggests that, without a three or 12-month PPC, patients might have incurred approximately £817 million in prescription charges. The NHSBSA plans to publish this report annually to provide ongoing insights into PPC uptake and potential patient savings.