The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7493 p296
15 March 2008

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Prescription charge rises by 25p to £7.10 in England

Prescription charges in England are to rise by 25p to £7.10 per item on 1 April 2008.

Announcing the increase last week, health minister Dawn Primarolo said: “In England, 88 per cent of prescription items are free of charge thanks to our extensive exemption arrangements.”

In 2006, fewer than 7 per cent of prescription items dispensed by community pharmacies in England were chargeable at the point of dispensing. A further 5 per cent of items were dispensed to patients who had prepayment certificates.

Reacting to the announcement, Paul Bennett, chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board, said: “We urgently need a review of the current system of prescription charges and exemptions in England — they are presently both illogical and unfair. There are clear disadvantages under existing arrangements, particularly for non-exempt patients who require long-term medication for multiple chronic conditions.”

Mr Bennett said that there was a case for abolishing charges in England, but that the implications of doing so were considerable and should be considered carefully.

“The Society firmly believes in better access to prescribed medicines for all patients without the constraints of a financial barrier,” he went on. “However, we must approach these issues with our eyes wide open and with a clear understanding of the implications of such reforms for pharmacists, GPs, patients, healthcare services and the pharmaceutical industry.”

A review has already been carried out internally by the Department of Health following an investigation by the House of Commons Health Committee (PJ, 28 October 2006, p507).

A DoH spokesman said that consultation on proposed changes was expected soon.

NHS prescriptions are free in Wales and charges will be phased out in Scotland by 2011. The prescription charge in Scotland will fall to £5 on 1 April 2008 with further cuts to £4 in 2009 and £3 in 2010 before abolition the following year.