All NHS prescriptions should be free – charges are ‘tax on the sick’, pharmacy bosses blast

ALL NHS prescriptions charges in England should be scrapped, pharmacy bosses have warned.

The current system, dubbed a “tax on the sick”, means many Brits are unable to get hold of necessary medicines, as the cost-of-living bites.

Prescriptions are already free in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

But in England, patients are forced to pay £9.35 per prescription item – and this cost is set to rise.

Thorrun Govind, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has said said that all prescriptions should be free and that charging people during this financial climate doesn’t make sense.

“Prescription charges are an unfair tax on health which disadvantages working people on lower incomes who are already struggling with food and energy bills,” Thorrun explained.

“Reducing access to medicines leads to poorer health, time off work and can result in admissions to hospital, the cost of which must be set against any income gained from prescription charges,” she said.

According to a recent survey, pharmacists have seen an increase in the last six months in patients asking which medicines on their prescription they can ‘do without’.

“We are deeply concerned that people are having to make choices about their health based on their ability to pay,” Thorrun explained.

“No one should have to make choices about rationing their medicines and no-one should be faced with a financial barrier to getting the medicines they need.

“Ultimately we want to see the prescription charge abolished for people with long term conditions so medicines are free to access in England, just like they are in the rest of the UK,” the pharmacy boss added.

Previous, The Sun reported that people are returning unused medicines to pharmacies in a bid to get refunds so they can scrape by.

And some pharmacists have started to cover patients’ prescription charges for them.

How to save money on your medicines

Firstly, it’s worth checking to see if you qualify for a free prescription.

According to the Government, around 89 per cent of people in England can collect their medicines free of charge.

If you don’t qualify for a free medicines, you can also get a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) – which is a bit like a season ticket for prescriptions.

It can work out cheaper if you pay for regular medication and can cover either three months or one year.

A three month PPC is £30.25 while a 12 month PPC is £108.10.

The PPC covers as many prescriptions as you need over the time period you pay for.

You can also ask your pharmacist if there is an equivalent medicine costing less than the charge which you can buy over the counter.

Make sure your pharmacist or GP to review your medicines to ensure they are appropriate and that you get the best out of them.

Who can get free prescriptions?

You can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you:

• Are 60 or over
• Are under 16
• Are 16 to 18 and in full-time education
• Are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
•  Have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• Have a continuing physical disability that prevents you going out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• Hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• Are an NHS inpatient

If you or your partner (including civil partner) receive, or you’re under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

• 9. Income Support
• 10. Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• 11. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• 12. Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• 13.  and meet the criteria
• If you’re entitled to or named on:
• 14. A valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate – if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice. You qualify if you get Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
• 15. A valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2).