Call to reform rather than remove prescription charges
NHS prescription charges should be retained but a complete overhaul of the current charging system is needed, according to the Scottish Pharmaceutical Federation.
The SPF comments were made to the Scottish Parliament health committee
which is currently considering a Bill to abolish
NHS prescription charges (PJ, 7 May, p536). The deadline for submissions was last week.
James Semple, SPF chairman, told the committee: “The current system
of NHS prescription charges is over-complex and exemption-checking puts
an unnecessary burden on community pharmacists and their staff. We also
share the view of the Scottish Consumer Council that the present system
is ‘characterised by inconsistency’.”
Mr Semple expressed concern that abolishing prescription charges would
render the minor ailments scheme, a core part of the new pharmacy contract
in Scotland, unworkable. He pointed out that pharmacists already collect
substantial amounts of returned patient medicines as waste. Abolishing
prescription charges would exacerbate this problem.
The SPF would like to see a simplification of the current system with
the retention of some exempt categories. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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