The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7240 p353
15 March 2003

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Prescription charge up 10p again

The charge for a National Health Service prescription in England and Scotland will rise by 10p to £6.30 on 1 April. With 85 per cent of NHS prescriptions exempt from payment, the increased charge is expected to raise £446m for the NHS in England 2003–04 and £46m for NHSScotland.

At the same time, the cost of prepayment certificates will rise from £32.40 to £32.90 for three months and from £89 to £90.40 for 12 months.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has repeated its call for a complete review of the prescription charge system. Ann Lewis, the Society's Secretary and Registrar, said that the charging system was not in line with the Government's policy of equal access for all to health care services.

"Although the Society is pleased that the Government has once again held the increase below the current rate of inflation, there remain people on low incomes who are not exempt from prescription charges and for whom a prescription charge of £6.30 is not affordable. For some patients this means not having access to the medicines they need."

The prescription charge in Wales is frozen at £6 until after the election of a new National Assembly in May.