Rising numbers of patients in England are failing to collect their medicines or asking pharmacists which ones they can “do without” because they cannot afford prescription charges, a survey shows.
NHS prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England there are exemptions for certain items, medical conditions and specific parts of the population, but most adults have to pay. The current prescription charge is £9.35 an item.
“We are deeply concerned that people are having to make choices about their health based on their ability to pay,” said Thorrun Govind, a pharmacist and chair of English pharmacy board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), which conducted the survey. “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.”
Half of pharmacists responding to the survey said they had seen an increase in patients asking which prescriptions they could “do without” as a result of the cost of living crisis.
Two-thirds reported a rise in patients asking them if there was a cheaper, over-the-counter substitute for the medicine they had been prescribed. Half of pharmacists reported an increase in patients not collecting their prescriptions.
The findings, from a survey of 269 pharmacies, prompted the RPS to renew its call for patients with long-term conditions in England to get free prescriptions. Charges create a financial barrier to accessing medicines needed to stay well, it said.
“Prescription charges were first introduced in 1952, and some exemptions to the charge put in place in 1968 – which haven’t been reviewed for 55 years,” the society said.
Govind said she was acutely concerned that the rise in patients choosing not to pick up their prescriptions would lead to a surge in people becoming severely unwell and a wave of hospital admissions.
“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. “Prescription charges are an unfair tax on health, which disadvantages working people on lower incomes who are already struggling with food and energy bills.
“Prescriptions have been free for people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for many years. We urgently need an overhaul of the system in England to ensure it supports access to medicines for people with long-term conditions at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis.
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“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 Department of Health and Social Care said it had taken steps to help with the cost of prescriptions and almost 89% of items in England were provided free of charge.
“For those not exempt from charges, prepayment certificates can be used to cap costs at just over £2 a week for regular prescriptions,” a spokesperson said. “Alongside this, people on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS low-income scheme, and we have a range of NHS prescription charge exemptions to help those with greatest need to ensure that people get the right care at the right time.”