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Patient exemption checking: a guide for pharmacy teams in England

From 1 September 2021, the temporary signature suspension has been lifted. Patients, or their representatives, will again be required to sign the reverse of NHS prescription, dental and eye care forms, or tokens for prescriptions presented at the pharmacy.

For pharmacy teams, any time a patient makes a declaration that they are exempt from paying for NHS prescriptions and treatment, you must:

  • ask to see evidence of their eligibility
  • ask them to sign the declaration box on the paper FP10/Token
  • specify the correct exemption category and indicate whether evidence was seen when submitting an EPS claim
  • note on your point of care system if the patient shows a valid exemption certificate, along with the expiry date of the certificate.

We've produced guidance and a communications toolkit to help you understand your legislative requirements, follow the correct procedure, and provide support to patients.

Patient exemption checking: a guide for pharmacy teams in England (PDF: 208KB)

Patient exemption checking: a communications toolkit for pharmacy teams in England (PDF: 1MB)

Not all benefits entitle people to free prescriptions. Patients can find out if they’re entitled to help with NHS costs using the online eligibility checker