Campaigners have submitted an open letter to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), urging the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to
freeze prescription charges to keep people with long-term conditions alive and well.
The campaign is led by the Prescription Charges Coalition, which represents over 50 organisations, including Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacists'
Defence Association (PDA).
Currently, the prescription charge is £9.65 per item, and campaigners have asked the government to freeze it for 2024 and 2025 as people living with long-term
health conditions in England are "being forced to choose between heating, eating, and taking their vital medication on a daily basis."
In 2023, a study conducted by the Prescription Charges Coalition revealed that almost 10 per cent of survey participants had skipped medication in the previous
year due to the cost of prescriptions. This led to increased physical and mental health problems, as well as impacted the time they took off work.
Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Campaigns at Parkinson's UK, expressed deep concern that a further rise in the charge this
year will lead to people skipping or not taking the full dose of their medication, which will affect their health and put more pressure on the already under
pressure NHS.
The result from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)'s survey showed that pharmacists witnessed 'the cost of living is having an impact on whether people
can afford prescription medicines in England'.
RPS has long campaigned to remove prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England because they create a financial barrier to patients receiving
the medicines needed to keep them well.
The charge currently stands at £9.35 per item prescrib9ed and an annual rise usually occurs in April. Prescriptions are free for people in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland.
One in two pharmacists who responded to the survey said they've seen an increase in the last six months in patients asking them which medicines on their prescription
they can 'do without' due to affordability issues.
One in two pharmacists had seen a rise in people not collecting their prescription, whilst two out of three pharmacists reported an increase in being asked if there
was a cheaper, over-the-counter substitute for the medicine they had been prescribed.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced 30 pence increase in prescription charges from £9.35 to £9.65 for each medicine or appliance
dispensed.
Board Chair for England at RPS, Thorrun Govind commented: "This is a kick in the teeth for people in England who are already struggling with rising bills and food
prices.
"Patients groups have warned that people are not collecting prescription medicines due to cost and pharmacists are seeing this worrying trend first-hand.
"A Government impact assessment noted the risk of adverse effects of people not taking their medicines, resulting in future health problems for the individual,
potential hospital admissions, and a subsequent cost to the NHS.
"This decision seems to prioritise revenue generation over ill-health prevention and undermines the principle of an NHS free at the point of use.