Access to Prescription Pre-payment Certificates and Medication Disposal
Prescription Pre-payment Certificates (PPC) are promoted by the NHS as a means of reducing the costs of prescriptions for those regularly receiving multiple forms of medication.
However, feedback received by Healthwatch in early 2026 suggested some people were experiencing challenges related to PPCs, including:
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being unable to access hard-copy PPC forms that support applications
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finding pharmacies where PPC applications could be made in-person
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finding pharmacies allowing the use of accessible payment methods (i.e. cash) when paying for PPC’s
This raised concerns for Healthwatch that lower income and less digitally enabled people may face additional barriers in saving money on their prescriptions due to challenges in applying for a PPC.
Storage and disposal of excess/returned medication
Proper disposal of expired or unwanted prescriptions or medication is essential for ensuring safety, protecting the environment, and preventing misuse.
Pharmacies may offer disposal services, but feedback we received suggested some may struggle to cater for the level of demand and/or have sufficient secure storage. We heard this may also have been affected by recent changes to disposal services.
Our project
Four Healthwatch volunteers visited 19 pharmacies in Eastbourne Borough. Each volunteer used a standardised questionnaire to ask pharmacy staff about the services they offer.
We used the responses received to explore three specific aspects for each pharmacy:
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Whether PCC forms supporting applications are available in hard-copy
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Whether PCC applications can be paid for in cash
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Whether secure storage and disposal of excess/returned medication is a challenge for pharmacies
Key Findings
Our report identifies the key themes we’ve heard, including:
1. Whether PCC application forms are available in hard-copy
As Community Pharmacy England clarify, selling of PPCs in-store is unfunded and it is optional for pharmacies to undertake, but they are encouraged to support those requiring assistance in applying.
Nine (47.4%) of the pharmacies we visited told us they currently support people to complete a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) in-store. Most indicated clients would be assisted by pharmacy staff to complete the online application, including support for completion in-store, offering directions for self-completion whilst in the pharmacy.
Only two (10.5%) of the pharmacies we visited told us they stock paper copies of the forms that support applications for NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPC).
Whilst these pharmacies had hard copy forms, we were unable to identify a downloadable or printable equivalent via the NHS website for public/patient use, creating a dependency on pharmacies to have these paper copies available.
2. Whether PCC applications can be paid for in cash
Only two (10.5%) pharmacies told us they accepted cash payments for Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) applications, and these were not the pharmacies that stocked the hard copy forms.
Whilst the NHS website indicates clients can pay for PPCs ‘in full at a pharmacy’, it is not clear which payment methods this includes or excludes.
3. Whether secure storage and disposal of excess/returned medication is a challenge for pharmacies
All the pharmacies we spoke to (17 out of 19 approached) told us they offer a disposal service for unused dispensed medication. Staff at all these pharmacies told us they regularly receive large quantities of unused dispensed medication. “Sometimes a bag-full.”
Reasons for returns most mentioned, included when a family member or loved one has passed away and medication returned from care homes.
Only one pharmacy (5.3%) we spoke to in Eastbourne told us they had declined the return of dispensed medication. We heard this was an isolated incident due to a delayed collection with the external disposal provider.
Most pharmacies had adequate storage and frequent collections, but three (15.8%) told us secure storage or disposal of returned medication can pose a challenge if they receive significant quantities in a short timeframe, or collections are delayed.
Recommendations
Based on the feedback we’ve received, we have identified several areas where changes could improve the experiences of patients now and in the future, which include:
- Increasing awareness of NHS Prescription Pre-payment Certificates amongst patients receiving multiple medications.
- Considering how to increase availability of hard-copy Prescription Pre-payment Certificate forms that support applications.
- Exploring how the clarity and detail of content related to PPCs on NHS websites can be made clearer.
- Providing access to a downloadable/printable PPC application forms and non-digital payment methods.
Next steps
We will continue to monitor the feedback we receive about pharmacy services, sharing examples and the themes, with both those commissioning services and the providers to raise awareness of the experiences of patients.
We will share this report with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and Healthwatch England and others to share this insight and support future service development.
Share Your Feedback
If you would like to tell us about your experience of NHS and/or social care services, be it good or bad, please contact us via our Feedback Centre or our I&S Service via enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk or 0333 101 4007 (Monday – Friday, 10am – 2pm).
