The cost of a private prescription is calculated depending upon what the medication is, and what kind of service you are using.

Certain private prescription services work by issuing you with a private prescription via a face-to-face appointment or online consultation with a doctor (for a fee), which you can then take to the pharmacy to have dispensed.

Because the prescription is private, you will have to pay for your medication and it will not be charged at the NHS fee of £9. The good news is that, because the NHS rate is fixed, certain types of medication will work out cheaper when purchased privately.

Other private prescription services work by issuing prescription medication directly online. Instead of going to an appointment, or applying for a prescription online, you simply order the medication you need.

To ensure that you can take your prescription medication safely, you will be required to fill out a short questionnaire (the online equivalent of the talk you would have with your GP in person) which can be assessed by a doctor. With this type of service, the cost of the medication incorporates the administrative fee and dispensing fee (and often delivery as well).