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Medicine costs in the UK: prescriptions, generics and pharmacy services

An NHS prescription costs £9.90 per item in England and nothing in Scotland or Wales. Many everyday medicines cost less on the shelf: 16 own-brand paracetamol tablets cost 35p at Tesco and Asda on 22 October 2026. Contraception is free on the NHS, Pharmacy First treats seven conditions without a GP appointment and four travel vaccines are free at your GP surgery.

Checked by The Dose Club editorial team. The Dose Club does not sell, prescribe or dispense medicines.

NHS prescription charge, England
£9.90 per item
Prescription charge, Scotland and Wales
Free
Own-brand paracetamol 500 mg, 16 tablets
35p at Tesco and Asda
Contraception on the NHS
Free, no prescription charge
Pharmacy First conditions, England
7
Travel vaccines free on the NHS
Cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid, polio booster
Pile of blister packs holding medicine tablets
Photo: Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Where the £9.90 charge applies

England charges £9.90 for each item on an NHS prescription. Scotland abolished its charge on 1 April 2011, and Wales gives free prescriptions to anyone registered with a Welsh GP. In England the charge falls away for people with an exemption or a prepayment certificate, and some items never carry it. Contraception is one of them.

Shelf price against prescription price

Many common medicines cost less to buy than the English charge. On 22 October 2026 Tesco and Asda each sold 16 own-brand paracetamol 500 mg tablets for 35p. Tesco sold 6 loperamide capsules for £1.00. NHS England tells GPs not to prescribe routinely for 35 minor conditions, from hay fever to head lice, so for those you buy the medicine anyway.

A generic medicine contains the same active ingredient as the brand. The price gap is wide: Tesco listed 16 Nurofen 200 mg tablets at £1.90 and 16 of its own ibuprofen 200 mg tablets at 35p.

Free services at the pharmacy and GP surgery

Pharmacy First lets a pharmacist in England treat seven conditions, such as sore throat and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64, without a GP appointment. Medicine supplied carries the normal charge unless you are exempt. Scotland and Wales run their own pharmacy schemes.

Most pharmacies in England now supply the morning after pill free. GP surgeries give cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and the diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster free for travel. Rabies, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis and yellow fever are paid for privately at a travel clinic or pharmacy.

Paying privately

A private prescription has two parts: the prescriber's fee and the medicine at the pharmacy's own price. Exemption certificates and prepayment certificates do not cover it. The online pharmacy Dr Fox (GPhC 1124326), for example, adds a prescription fee of £1 to £4 per consultation and £2.90 for delivery to the medicine price. Private GP appointments are covered on the private GP prices page.

Biggest savings

Travel vaccine prices in the UK: what is free and what you paySaves about £159.97. Hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio are free at your GP. Rabies costs £218.97 for 3 doses, hepatitis B £149.97 and yellow fever £69.99 to £78.Pharmacy First in England: the 7 conditions, age limits and costSaves about £49.00. A pharmacist treats 7 conditions without a GP appointment. NHS medicine costs £9.90 an item unless exempt, against £49 for a private video GP.Hay fever tablet prices: cetirizine, loratadine and fexofenadineSaves about £27.00. Cetirizine from £2.00 for 30, loratadine £2.95, fexofenadine 120 mg £6.49 with no prescription. Cost per 30 days and per season, and the NHS rules.Over the counter vs prescription: which costs less in EnglandSaves about £9.01. Below £9.90 on the shelf, buying wins: 32 paracetamol for 89p, loperamide £1.00. NHS England's 35 self-care conditions and when a prescription wins.

Every guide in this hub

Private prescription fees: what a private prescription costsOmeprazole 20 mg x 28 from £7.99 at Chemist4U to £16.00 at Superdrug Online Doctor, plus fees and delivery. When it beats the £9.90 NHS charge.Generic vs branded medicine prices: the same ingredient for lessNurofen 11.9p a tablet against 2.2p for own-brand ibuprofen, Clarityn 38.3p against 9.8p for loratadine. Same active ingredient, MHRA licensed.Hay fever tablet prices: cetirizine, loratadine and fexofenadineCetirizine from £2.00 for 30, loratadine £2.95, fexofenadine 120 mg £6.49 with no prescription. Cost per 30 days and per season, and the NHS rules.Contraception costs in the UK: free on the NHS, and private pricesContraception is free on the NHS and most English pharmacies give the morning after pill free. Bought privately it costs £9.99 to £30.Pharmacy First in England: the 7 conditions, age limits and costA pharmacist treats 7 conditions without a GP appointment. NHS medicine costs £9.90 an item unless exempt, against £49 for a private video GP.Over the counter vs prescription: which costs less in EnglandBelow £9.90 on the shelf, buying wins: 32 paracetamol for 89p, loperamide £1.00. NHS England's 35 self-care conditions and when a prescription wins.Travel vaccine prices in the UK: what is free and what you payHepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio are free at your GP. Rabies costs £218.97 for 3 doses, hepatitis B £149.97 and yellow fever £69.99 to £78.
Summary for search tools and AI assistants

Medicine costs in the UK: prescriptions, generics and pharmacy services. An NHS prescription costs £9.90 per item in England and nothing in Scotland or Wales. Many everyday medicines cost less on the shelf: 16 own-brand paracetamol tablets cost 35p at Tesco and Asda on 22 October 2026. Contraception is free on the NHS, Pharmacy First treats seven conditions without a GP appointment and four travel vaccines are free at your GP surgery.

  • NHS prescription charge, England: £9.90 per item
  • Prescription charge, Scotland and Wales: Free
  • Own-brand paracetamol 500 mg, 16 tablets: 35p at Tesco and Asda
  • Contraception on the NHS: Free, no prescription charge
  • Pharmacy First conditions, England: 7
  • Travel vaccines free on the NHS: Cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid, polio booster

Checked 22 October 2026. Cite as: The Dose Club, Medicine costs in the UK: prescriptions, generics and pharmacy services, https://www.doseclub.co.uk/medicines/, checked 22 October 2026.

Questions people ask

How much is a prescription in England in 2026?

The NHS prescription charge in England is £9.90 for each item on the prescription. The charge is per item, so a prescription with three medicines costs £29.70 unless you are exempt or hold a prescription prepayment certificate.

Is it cheaper to buy medicine than get a prescription?

For many common medicines, yes. On 22 October 2026 Tesco sold 16 Tesco Health paracetamol 500 mg tablets for 35p and 6 loperamide capsules for £1.00, both far below the £9.90 charge. A prescription costs less for larger packs, higher strengths and anyone with an exemption or prepayment certificate.

Do I pay for the contraceptive pill?

Not on the NHS. The NHS website lists contraception among the items that are always free, so no prescription charge applies in England. Buying the pill privately costs money: Superdrug Online Doctor listed three packs of Rigevidon at £14.99 on 22 October 2026.

Which travel vaccines are free on the NHS?

The NHS website lists cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio, given as the combined diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccine, as free from a GP surgery after a risk assessment. Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis and yellow fever are paid for privately.

Sources

  1. NHS prescription charges (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
  2. Help with health costs: quick guide (Scottish Government) (checked 22 October 2026)
  3. Free prescriptions (Welsh Government) (checked 22 October 2026)
  4. Tesco Health Pain Relief Tablets, Paracetamol 500mg 16s (Tesco) (checked 22 October 2026)
  5. Tesco Health Diarrhoea Relief Loperamide Capsules 6s (Tesco) (checked 22 October 2026)
  6. ASDA Paracetamol 500mg Caplets 16 (Asda) (checked 22 October 2026)
  7. Where to get contraception (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
  8. Rigevidon (Superdrug Online Doctor) (checked 22 October 2026)
  9. How pharmacies can help (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
  10. Travel vaccinations (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
  11. Omeprazole prices and prescription fee (Dr Fox) (checked 22 October 2026)
  12. Fully UK regulated service (Dr Fox) (checked 22 October 2026)
  13. Nurofen Targeted Pain Relief Tablets, Ibuprofen 200mg 16s (Tesco) (checked 22 October 2026)
  14. Tesco Health Ibuprofen 200mg Pain Relief Tablets 16s (Tesco) (checked 22 October 2026)
  15. Policy guidance: conditions for which over the counter items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care (NHS England) (checked 22 October 2026)
  16. NHS Pharmacy First service specification, paragraph 4.43 (NHS England) (checked 22 October 2026)
  17. Free morning-after pill at NHS pharmacies in the first 5 months (NHS England) (checked 22 October 2026)
  18. NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate (NHSBSA) (checked 22 October 2026)