Professional bodies representing doctors and pharmacists have asked the government to scrap prescription charges in England during the coronavirus crisis.
In a joint letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, British Medical Association and Dispensing Doctors’ Association have argued that an increased level of risk would always remain for both dispensers and patients as long as patients were required to sign and pay for their prescriptions.
The three bodies recommend “the introduction of temporary removal of the prescription charge altogether” so as “to allow for a smoother and safer prescription for all.”
The letter further states: "We understand that the Government intends to extend the validity period for exemption certificates for low income, maternity and medical exemptions to ensure that already vulnerable patients in these categories will not need a renewed exemption certificate and can use their existing certificate.”
The bodies agree that this would reduce the chances of infection and workload.
They have also asked for “a temporary suspension of the need for a signature when collecting controlled drugs from a dispenser” and hope “unnecessary bureaucracy” such as signing a declaration on the prescription form or EPS token is reduced.
“This is an unnecessary process generating both additional work and cost for both patient and dispenser and we recommend removing the process permanently.”
The charges only apply to patients in England as prescriptions are free in the other three nations of the UK.
