The short answer is no. But there are ways to reduce the cost of HRT.

The NICE Guideline on Menopause says HRT should be offered to women as a first-line treatment for menopause. Women in England must pay £9.90 NHS prescription charges for HRT (per item).

However, is you buy HRT prescriptions more than 3 times over 12 months, it’s worth investigating the HRT pre-payment certificate (PPC). With the HRT PPC, you pay once for 12-month coverage and your HRT prescriptions are then free. You can buy an HRT PPC for a one-off payment of £19.80 (the cost of two single items).

According to the NHS Business Authority, “The HRT PPC covers an unlimited number of certain HRT medicines for 12 months, regardless of why they are prescribed.”

However, it’s important to note that the HRT PPC doesn’t cover all HRT medications. Be sure to check out to see if your prescription is covered here.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris, chair of the newly-formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause, has backed a Private Members’ Bill calling for the scrapping of the charges.