An increase in prescription charges in England has been condemned by major pharmaceutical bodies and patients, highlighting the financial strain on low-income groups and the necessity for policy reform.
Prescription charges in England are set to increase from £9.65 to £9.90 per item starting from 1st May 2024. This rise has been met with significant criticism from key pharmaceutical bodies, including the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. These organizations argue that the increase will disproportionately affect working-class patients with lower incomes, some of whom, as per the NPA’s survey, are already skipping essential medications like antibiotics and asthma inhalers due to cost concerns.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has condemned the increase as detrimental to patients, particularly the “working poor,” and has called for the abolition of prescription charges altogether, aligning England with other UK regions where prescriptions are free.
Further concerns are raised by the Prescription Charges Coalition, which has highlighted the outdated exemption list, unchanged for 50 years, leading to calls for an urgent review to include conditions such as Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. Individuals with such conditions have expressed fears regarding their ability to afford the necessary medication, exemplified by Wendy Tombs, a patient with Parkinson’s disease.
The Department of Health and Social Care has defended the price adjustment, stating that it is necessary to maintain the sustainability of NHS funding. The spokesperson emphasized that many prescription items are still issued free of charge, covering children, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions.
In response to the criticism and the hardship expressed by patients, there have been calls for a freeze on prescription charges in 2025 and for a review of the exemption categories to alleviate the financial burden on vulnerable groups further.
