The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7481 p635
8 December 2007

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Prescription charges to go in Scotland from 2011

Prescription charges in Scotland will be abolished from 2011 following a phased reduction which will start next year (2008). Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon, announced this week that from April 2008, single item charges will be cut by about 25 per cent and the cost of pre-payment certificates (PPCs) will reduce by about 50 per cent.

“It is to provide additional help for people with chronic conditions that we will from April next year (2008) reduce the cost of both four and 12 month PPCs by over 50 per cent — a cut of over £50 on a 12-month prescription bill for people with a chronic condition using PPCs,” said Ms Sturgeon.

“This substantial reduction in the cost of PPCs is the simplest and most effective way of providing direct financial support to people with chronic conditions,” she added.

In April 2008, the prescription cost will drop from £6.85 to £5 per item, further reducing to £4 per item from 2009 and £3 per item from 2010. From April 2011 all prescriptions will be free.

Provision for the cost of the proposals has been made in the Spending Review, allowing £20m, £32m and £45m for the three financial years from 2008–09.