England is the only UK country that still levies a charge to adults of working age for prescriptions. There is an exception list for those with certain conditions, but it has not been meaningfully updated for around half a century.
A prescription charge is essentially a tax. However, pharmacists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not required to collect these charges for the government and do not have to manage the consequences of patients being unable to pay for their prescribed medicines because those nations have abolished prescription charges.
There is a cost of living crisis and a survey of more than 1,000 pharmacists in January 2024 showed that 97% had recently seen patients in England decline medicines due to prescription charges, with more than a quarter saying this is happening increasingly often.
Alison Jones, PDA Director of Policy said, “The Westminster government had multiple chances to do the right thing on prescription charges. Ideally, we want them to abolish prescription charges like the other UK nations. However, if they won’t do that, they could at least review the exception list to reflect the diagnosis and treatment available today as requested by the Prescription Charges Coalition, of which the PDA is a member.
Failing both the above, the government could have chosen to not make the situation worse for many patients, as they could have frozen the charge. Instead, the government has decided to keep the exception list unchanged and to increase the charge meaning that pharmacists are even more likely to see patients self-ration the medicine they need due to cost and must continue to have to collect this ‘tax’ for the government.
There are concerns when medicines to manage chronic conditions are not taken as prescribed and this can lead to additional requirements to visit the GP and avoidable hospital admissions due to the worsening of symptoms. The choice of not taking a much-needed medicine is not an easy one for many patients.”
The PDA unequivocally believes the Westminster government is wrong to continue to levy prescription charges on NHS patients in England.
Learn more
- Campaigners call for government to freeze prescription charges to keep people with long-term conditions alive and well
- Pharmacists warn of the impact of prescription charges ahead of Parliamentary debate
- PDA shares resources for patients that want to lobby their MP about prescription charges
- PDA responds to prescription charge increases in England
- PDA delivers open letter to DHSC
- Pharmacists report the negative impact of prescription charges
- Prescription Charges Coalition
- Campaigning with others
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