Continuing to pay the price: The impact of prescription charges on people living with long term conditions (March 2023)

Summary

The Prescription Charges Coalition is a group of 50 organisations calling on the Government to scrap prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England. This report by the Coalition outlines the results of a survey of over 4,000 people with long-term conditions about prescription charges. It highlights that the prescription charge is a barrier to patients with long-term conditions accessing medicine.

Content

Key findings

• Nearly 1 in 10 people have skipped medication in the past year due to the cost of prescriptions. Of this group, 30% now have other physical health problems in addition to their original health condition, 37% now have other mental health problems in addition to their original health condition, and over half (53%) have had to take time off work as a result of worsening health.
• 1 in 10 (9%) report being unable to collect their prescription due to the cost in the last 12 months.
• 38% of respondents became aware of the Prescription Prepayment Certificate more than a year after their diagnosis with a long term condition.
• Around a third (35%) have had the duration of their prescription changed, meaning they’re paying more frequently for their medicines.

Recommendations

The report makes the following recommendations:

• The UK Government should commit to freezing the charge for 2024.
• Recommend that prescribers stop reducing the duration of prescriptions - as this prices people out of affording their vital medicines.
• Conducts an independent review of the prescription charge exemption list urgently. The review should examine the benefits to the health of the citizens in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales of scrapping the charge, and also take into account health inequalities.
• Scrap their plans to align prescription charges with the state pension age.
• Ensure information about prescription charge entitlements (including the low income scheme and PPCs) are provided to all those with long term conditions when they are diagnosed with their condition. This information should also be given out when medicines are dispensed and reviewed. Materials covering these topics should also be displayed at all GP surgeries and pharmacies.