The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7178 p839-846
15 December 2001

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Prescription charge review sought

The system of prescription charges and exemptions should be comprehensively reviewed, the December issue of Health Which? says. The current system of exemptions is confusing, the magazine says, and patients are at risk if they have to scrimp and save to afford repeat prescriptions.

It also notes a trend for patients being switched from two- or three-month repeat prescriptions to monthly repeats, increasing the amount that patients with chronic conditions, but who are not exempt from charges, have to pay. It quotes David Erskine, primary care medicines information pharmacist at Guy's medicine information unit, London, as saying: "We have investigated this on behalf of a number of health authorities and no-one has demonstrated in a conclusive way that it does reduce waste."

Although most professional, patient and consumer groups want a review of prescription charges, the article concludes with the pessimistic view expressed by Roger Odd, head of scientific and professional support at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society: "It is too political and gets pushed to one side. But for the people involved it is a major problem and a major source of inequity."

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