Update on the Free Prescriptions Campaign

The fight continues for those seeking free prescriptions for all long term conditions.

For many months now NRAS, along with several other patient groups, have been campaigning very hard to secure free prescriptions for people living with a long term condition. The system, as it stands is very unfair to people living in England as some disease areas, such as epilepsy, have exemption from payment. Therefore, the whole debate around which conditions should also qualify for free prescriptions continues to be raised.

We know that many people struggle to meet the costs of prescriptions, especially if they are paying for several different medications. We also know that in order to save on the cost of prescriptions, patients will make deliberate choices about which items of medication they feel they can go without in order to keep the costs down.

It was therefore a huge disappointment to the ‘Free Prescription Coalition’ to hear that one of the outcomes from the recent Spending Review read as follows:

“To ensure spending is focused on priorities, some programmes announced by the previous government but not yet implemented will not be taken forward. This includes free prescriptions for people with long term conditions.”

The Coalition will now be looking to re focus its campaign and will continue to fight for a fairer system that looks at supporting the need for free prescriptions for people that suffer from all chronic long term conditions.

Watch this space!

Jenny Snell

Government Affairs