NHS criteria for patients eligible to receive free prescriptions are:-

Age

• A person who is under 16 years of age;
• A person who is aged 16, 17 or 18 and in qualifying full-time education;
• A person who is aged 60 and over;

Pregnancy

• A woman with a valid exemption certificate issued by the Central Services Agency because she is an expectant mother or has within the last twelve months given birth to a live child or a child registered as stillborn;

Medical Grounds

A person with a valid exemption certificate issued by the Central Services Agency because they have one or more of the following conditions:
• Permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy or ileostomy or laryngostomy), which requires continuous surgical dressing or requires an appliance;
• Epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;
• A continuing physical disability, which prevents the patient leaving home without the help of another person (temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months);
• Diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone;
• Diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism;
• Hypoparathyroidism;
• Forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison’s disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
• Myxoedema;
• Myasthenia gravis;
• A person receiving a War or MOD Disablement Pension holding a valid exemption certificate issued by the Secretary of State in respect of the supply of drugs and appliances for the treatment of the accepted disablement only.

Income Grounds

A person who is receiving, or whose partner is receiving:
• Income Support;
• Minimum Income Guarantee (equivalent to Income Support where recipient or partner is aged 60 or over);
• Income based Job Seekers Allowance;
• A person named on, or entitled to, a tax credit exemption certificate.

NHS prescription pre-payment certificate

• A person who holds a valid prescription pre-payment certificate.

The above information is contained in leaflet Are you entitled to help with health costs?