PRESCRIPTION costs will be “unaffordable for many” after rising to £9.90 tomorrow, doctors warn.
Charges have risen by 2.59 per cent compared to the £9.65 they cost last year, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed.
The high costs are effectively a “tax on the working poor” and could result in less well-off patients being unable to purchase life-saving medicines, activists claimed.
Tase Oputu, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “This is a dark day for patients who will now have to pay almost £10 for each item prescribed.
“Amid the cost of living crisis, rising prescription rates will hit low-income workers hardest.
“The relentless annual increase in prescription rates is making medicines unaffordable for many. This is totally unacceptable. It seems like you can put a price on health.”
Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, the one-off prescription fee generally increases every April in England.
The rate has increased from tomorrow, with 12-month NHS prescription prepayment certificates – which cover all prescriptions for a set price – also increasing from £111.60 to £114.50.
Prescriptions are free for certain groups of people, including children, over-60s, pregnant women, people receiving certain benefits and people with certain medical conditions.
But doctors and activists are concerned that many at-risk patients will be hit hard by the new allegations.
Ms Oputu said: “Every day, pharmacists are asked by patients who cannot afford to pay for all the items on their prescription, which ones they can ‘do without’.
“No one should face a financial barrier to getting the medicines they need to stay well.
“As the Government looks to reduce benefit spending, medicines play a crucial role in helping people stay healthy and in work.
“Prescription fees should be scrapped in England, as they have been in the rest of the UK.”
Nick Kaye, of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Allowing the prescription rate to rise to this level is a shameful neglect of workers on low fixed incomes, who are not exempt.
“Many people already choose not to collect some or all of their prescription medications due to the cost, with potentially serious health consequences.
“This is a tax on the working poor that deepens the cost of living crisis for them.”
PRESCRIPTION CAMPAIGN
The Prescription Charges Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 organizations, has called for an urgent review of the prescription fee exemption list.
The coalition said the list of exemptions has remained relatively unchanged for the past 50 years and neglects to include many life-altering conditions such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cystic fibrosis, HIV and asthma.
It raised concerns that people would be forced to stop taking their medication due to rising costs.
A patient with Parkinson’s disease said her financial situation was “terrible” as a result of living with the disease.
Wendy Tombs, from Shropshire, said: “The rise in the price of prescription medicines is just another nail in the coffin for people living with Parkinson’s.
NHS prescription price rise has caused fear among people living with long-term health problems
Laura Cockram
“The way prices keep going up, I don’t know how long I can last.”
The 59-year-old received a donation from the charity Parkinson’s UK to cover the cost of her prescription prepayment certificate.
Laura Cockram, head of Parkinson’s UK campaigns and chair of the coalition, said: “The NHS prescription price rise has caused fear in people living with long-term health problems such as Parkinson’s.
“People are already struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis, and the rising cost of prescriptions will result in more people missing, reducing or delaying taking their medicines, meaning their condition will deteriorate. .
“There is limited financial support that charities can offer to make up for the Government’s shortcomings.
“That’s why we’re calling on the UK government to freeze the charge in 2025 and commit to urgently reviewing the prescription charge exemption list.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.
What does a well-stocked medicine cabinet look like?
Most of us have allowed our bathroom cabinets to become full of useless, outdated medications and devices.
Here’s what you should have on hand, according to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society:
Medication:
- Pain relief – Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective in relieving most minor pains, such as headaches and menstrual pains.
- Decongestants – may provide short-term relief for stuffy or stuffy nose.
- Indigestion treatment – if you have a stomach ache or heartburn, a simple antacid will reduce stomach acid and bring relief
- Antihistamines – are useful for dealing with allergies and insect bites
- Antidiarrheal tablets – These medications can quickly control diarrhea symptoms, although they do not resolve the underlying cause.
- Oral rehydration salts – an easy way to help restore your body’s natural mineral and fluid balance and aid recovery after fever, diarrhea or vomiting
- Sunscreen – keep a sun lotion of at least factor 15 to reduce the risk of skin cancer
First aid kit:
- Bandages – can support injured limbs, such as a sprained wrist, and apply direct pressure to larger cuts before they are treated in hospital
- Plasters – a range of sizes, waterproof if possible
- Eye wash solution – this will help remove sand or dirt from your eyes.
- Thermometer – digital thermometers that you put in your mouth produce very accurate readings; An underarm or ear thermometer are good ways to read a baby or young child’s temperature.
- Sterile dressings – larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection until treatment can be administered by a healthcare professional
- Tweezers – to remove splinters; if splinters are left, they can cause discomfort and become infected
- Antiseptic – can be used to clean cuts before they are bandaged, and most can treat a range of ailments, including insect bites, ulcers and pimples; Alcohol-free antiseptic wipes are useful for cleaning cuts
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
