The period of time that people living with diabetes can have medical exemption certificates has changed from 5 years to 10 years.
Prescriptions are free for everybody in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but people with diabetes in England need to have a medical exemption certificate to legally claim free prescriptions.
Free prescriptions mean you don't pay for any item you're prescribed, even if it's for something that's not related to your diabetes.
If you use insulin or medicine to manage your diabetes, you're entitled to free prescriptions, but if you’re under 60 and living in England, you must have a medical exemption certificate before you can claim them.
Before July 2026, a certificate lasted for 5 years from when it was issued, but this has been extended to 10 years, which is good news for people living with diabetes.
We have reports from people who have been fined for not having a valid certificate and about the difficulties they have with the renewal process, which is challenging to complete. We have been calling on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to make changes to the medical exemption certificate process for a while.
We wrote to the Chief Executive of the NHSBSA last year to ask that they extended the length of time certificates lasts for and to automate the renewal process. So we are pleased to see this extension, but we know there is more to be done. We will continue to raise these issues with the Government.
Once you are registered for a certificate you should receive a reminder letter or email a month before it runs out.
If you claim a free prescription without a medical exemption certificate, you may be issued with a penalty charge notice and have to pay the cost of the prescription.
Read more about medical exemption certificates.
