# HRT Cost UK: NHS, PPC & Private Prices | Pick My Pharmacy URL: https://pickmypharmacy.co.uk/answers/how-much-does-hrt-cost/ Description: NHS HRT costs £9.90 per item in England, but the £19.80 HRT prepayment certificate covers a year. Private online HRT typically runs £15–£70 a month. --- - [Home](/) - /[Answers](/answers/) - /How much does HRT cost in the UK? Costs & Charges # How much does HRT cost in the UK? By [Kaiser Khan](/author/kaiser-khan/) · Updated 9 July 2026 In short The NHS is usually the cheapest way to get HRT. In England each prescription item costs £9.90, but the HRT prepayment certificate — £19.80 for 12 months — covers listed HRT medicines however many items you need, and prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Private online supply typically costs £15–£35 a month for common HRT such as Utrogestan or estradiol patches, and £40–£70 a month for the non-hormonal tablet Veoza. Going private buys speed and convenience rather than a lower price. At a glance - ·NHS England: £9.90 per prescription item, or free in Scotland, Wales, and NI - ·HRT prepayment certificate: £19.80 covers listed HRT medicines for 12 months - ·The HRT PPC pays for itself from the third item in a year - ·Private online HRT: typically £15–£35/month for Utrogestan or estradiol patches - ·Veoza (non-hormonal): typically £40–£70/month, private only for most people - ·A consultation with a prescriber is required whichever route you choose ## The NHS route: usually the cheapest HRT prescribed by your GP costs the standard NHS prescription charge of £9.90 per item in England — and nothing at all in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where prescriptions are free. Because many HRT regimens involve two items (oestrogen plus a progestogen such as Utrogestan), England introduced a dedicated HRT prepayment certificate: it costs £19.80, lasts 12 months, and covers the medicines on the HRT PPC list however many times they are dispensed. If you collect HRT items more than twice a year — which almost everyone on HRT does — the certificate saves money, and for someone on a two-item regimen collected monthly the annual saving runs well over £200. You can buy the certificate online from the NHS Business Services Authority and it only covers listed HRT items, not other prescriptions. ## What private online HRT costs Private online pharmacies and menopause clinics supply HRT after their own prescriber consultation, with the medicine and delivery bundled into a monthly price. Common body-identical options — Utrogestan capsules or estradiol patches such as Estradot — typically cost £15–£35 a month each, so a two-part regimen might run £30–£70 a month. Veoza, a newer non-hormonal tablet for hot flushes, typically costs £40–£70 a month and is mostly a private-route medicine at present. Compare that with £19.80 for a whole year on the NHS and the arithmetic is clear: private HRT costs several times more. Prices for identical medicines still vary between private providers, so if you do go private, compare the total monthly cost including consultation and delivery. ## Why some women pay privately anyway Private supply is about speed and convenience, not price. A private online consultation can be completed in days, whereas a GP appointment followed by a review can take longer; some women also want a menopause-specialist review, more frequent dose adjustments, or a specific product their local NHS team is reluctant to prescribe. Others use private supply as a stopgap during NHS medicine shortages. These are legitimate reasons — but it is worth knowing that the same body-identical HRT recommended by NICE (estradiol patches, gels, sprays, and micronised progesterone) is available on standard NHS prescription. A sensible pattern many women use is to start or stabilise treatment privately, then ask their GP to take over prescribing on the NHS. ## The consultation, whichever route you take HRT is prescription-only, so a consultation is required whether you go through your GP or a private online service. Prescribers check your medical and family history — particularly breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, and liver disease — before recommending a type and dose, and a review after around three months is standard while the dose settles. Reputable online services replicate this with a detailed questionnaire reviewed by a registered prescriber and a follow-up plan; a site offering instant HRT checkout with no health questions is one to avoid. Check any online pharmacy against the GPhC register before ordering. This page is general information, not medical advice — speak to a pharmacist or GP about whether HRT is right for you. Next step ## Compare Pharmacies for What You Need See NHS services, private prices, and reviews side by side — GPhC-checked, free, and no obligation. Pharmacies you don't pick never see your details. [Browse pharmacies](/pharmacies/)[Prescription Cost calculators →](/calculators/) ## People Also Ask What does the HRT prepayment certificate cover?+ The HRT PPC costs £19.80, lasts 12 months, and covers NHS prescriptions for medicines on the official HRT list — including common oestrogen patches, gels, sprays, tablets, and micronised progesterone. It does not cover medicines outside that list; for lots of non-HRT prescriptions, a standard PPC may suit better. Is HRT free anywhere in the UK?+ NHS prescriptions, including HRT, are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In England you pay £9.90 per item unless you qualify for free prescriptions or hold a prepayment certificate — and the £19.80 HRT PPC caps the annual cost for listed HRT medicines. Why is private HRT so much more expensive than the NHS?+ Private prices reflect the actual cost of the medicine plus the prescriber consultation and delivery, whereas NHS charges are a flat, subsidised fee. You are paying for faster access and convenience, not a better medicine — the products are the same. Can I switch from private HRT to the NHS?+ Usually, yes. Once you are settled on a regimen, you can ask your GP to prescribe it on the NHS — most standard body-identical HRT is available this way. Bring your private prescription details to the appointment; the GP will make their own clinical assessment before taking over. Keep reading - [What is a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC)?](/answers/what-is-a-prescription-prepayment-certificate/) - [How much is an NHS prescription in 2026?](/answers/how-much-is-an-nhs-prescription/) - [Who gets free NHS prescriptions?](/answers/who-gets-free-nhs-prescriptions/) - [What does a private prescription cost in the UK?](/answers/what-does-a-private-prescription-cost/) - [Oestrogel vs Evorel cost](/answers/oestrogel-vs-evorel-cost-uk/) - [Compare menopause treatment prices](/treatments/menopause/) - [HRT prepayment certificate calculator](/calculators/hrt-ppc-calculator/) - [What is a prescription prepayment certificate?](/answers/what-is-a-prescription-prepayment-certificate/) **Affiliate disclosure:**Pick My Pharmacy is free to use. We may earn a fee when you visit a referral partner or send a private-service enquiry. That never changes ratings, match results, or the prices you pay. Outbound partner links userel="sponsored". See[affiliate compliance](/methodology/#affiliate-compliance)and[how we make money](/how-it-works/). This article is general information for UK patients, not medical advice, and NHS rules and charges change — confirm current rules on [nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk) or speak to a pharmacist or GP before acting. For urgent medical help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. Price figures are indicative benchmarks from our[methodology](/methodology/).