FP10

FP10 is the designation for the standard paper prescription form used in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom to issue medicines on NHS prescriptions. The form is completed by a prescriber, such as a general practitioner or other licensed clinician, and presented to a community pharmacist for dispensing. It includes fields for patient details, prescriber identity, the prescribed medicines, dosages, quantities, and usage instructions, and it incorporates security features and a unique serial number to help prevent forgery.

In practice, FP10 forms are used for a range of NHS prescriptions, including outpatient and routine medications. They are printed and distributed under arrangements managed by NHS bodies and are designed to be compatible with pharmacy dispensing workflows. The forms are part of a broader prescription system that has increasingly shifted toward electronic prescribing, with electronic prescription service (EPS) reducing dependence on paper forms. Nevertheless, FP10 forms remain in use for certain situations where paper-based prescribing is required or preferred, such as some private prescriptions or controlled-drug prescriptions that require specific paper procedures (often issued as a variant such as FP10MDA for restricted medicines).

Geographically, FP10 forms are associated with NHS practice in the UK, with the overarching regulatory and administrative framework provided by NHS organizations. The move toward electronic prescribing has reduced the overall use of FP10, but the form remains a recognized component of the country’s prescription infrastructure for cases where paper-based prescribing continues to be necessary.