Over 50 organisations call for government to freeze prescription charges in England

‘People living with long-term health conditions are being forced to choose between heating, eating, and taking their vital medication’

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.

Paul Day, director of PDA, highlighted the results of a survey undertaken in January 2024, where 97 per cent of surveyed pharmacists reported that they had seen patients in England declining medicines due to prescription charges. Concerningly, more than a quarter of the participants reported that this is “happening increasingly often.”

Such instances were not seen in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as those nations have abolished prescription charges, Day added.

“Nobody should face a financial barrier to accessing the medicines they need,” said Tase Oputu, chair of RPS in England, who described prescription charges as “a stealth tax on health” that increases the risk of avoidable hospital admissions and add further pressure to the health service.

According to her, not only the prescription charges system is confusing for patients but it also creates unnecessary bureaucracy for pharmacy teams who want to focus on patient care.

Considering the cost-of-living crisis, she urged the government to freeze prescription charges this year and commit to abolishing "this complex and unjust system."

The letter had garnered support from over 600 members of the public when it was handed to the DHSC on 29 February.