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NHS England has launched a prescription savings campaign, particularly for those living with long-term conditions. The campaign is specifically for individuals residing in deprived areas as they receive more prescriptions than people in affluent areas. It is also known that people with low income could be entitled to help with costs or free prescriptions depending on their circumstances. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), an active member of the Prescription Charges Coalition, is actively striving to eliminate prescription charges in England as well. They are focussing on "NHS England's current efforts to minimise charges so that members practising in England can alert patients to this possibility".

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.

In partnership with the Prescription Charges Coalition (PCC), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has taken a significant step by urging political leaders to abolish prescription charges for individuals with long-term conditions. Tase Oputu, Chair of the RPS England Pharmacy Board, signed an open letter on Thursday, calling on party leaders to address this pressing issue. The letter emphasises the outdated nature of the current exemption list, which forces individuals with chronic conditions like Parkinson's, cystic fibrosis, and HIV to bear the cost of their essential medications. It urges party leaders to urgently review and update the exemption list to ensure equitable access to necessary medicines. "Nobody should face a financial barrier to accessing the medicines they need," Oputu stated.

Released on Monday morning, the election manifesto shared by the Liberal Democrats pledges to "strengthen patients' rights" by tackling public health inequalities and providing early access to community services. The Liberal Democrats Party's manifesto promises to address the issues at both the "front and back doors" of the National Health Service (NHS), which the party claims has been plunged into crisis by the Conservatives. Pledging to invest in public health and early access to community services, the party aims to "work towards a fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model for pharmacies and build on the Pharmacy First approach to give patients more accessible routine services and ease the pressure on GPs." The pledge also includes making prescriptions for people with chronic mental health conditions free on the NHS, as part of a wider commitment to review the entire schedule of exemptions for prescription charges.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called the future prime minister to deliver on the commitments made by the previous health secretaries to reform primary care through a 'pharmacy first' approach and fairly fund community pharmacies to avoid closures. In an open letter, the NPA has urged Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the two leadership contenders of the Conservative Party and prime ministerial candidates, to think radically about the role of England's 11,000 pharmacies, which are on the frontline of healthcare across the country. NPA also highlighted how pharmacies could help clear the NHS backlog, free up millions more GP appointments, dramatically improve access to primary health care and do more to prevent ill health and support people with long term medical conditions. "Because of our unparalleled presence in deprived areas, we also have great potential to level up access to healthcare and address health inequalities. We set these ideas out in How We Can Help, which is an improvement plan already welcomed by many of your colleagues."