The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7193 p509-516
13 April 2002

Society summary

Society calls for review of prescription charges in Wales

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is calling upon the National Assembly for Wales to review the current system of prescription charges. The call follows an announcement last week by the health Minister Jane Hutt that prescription charges in Wales are to be held at £6 and exempt for all aged under 25 years for the second consecutive year (see PJ, 9 March, p313).

Andrea Robinson, chairman of the Society's Welsh Executive, said: "Although the Society welcomes the freeze in the prescriptions charge, this is only a small step in the right direction. We know that there remain people on low incomes who are not exempt from prescription charges and for whom a prescription charge of £6 is therefore not affordable. For some patients, this means not having access to medicines that they need."

She added that the current charging system is at variance with the Government's stated policy of equal access for all to health care services.