Calls for 'unfair’ prescription costs in England to be scrapped
Patients in England are charged for prescriptions while those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not.
Pharmacy leaders say prescription charges in England should be scrapped.
It's after a new poll found that 79% of people think it is “unfair” that patients in England are charged for their prescriptions, while those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not.
The new survey of 1,781 adults in England, carried out by Savanta on behalf of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), also found that one in 10 people (10%) said that they have gone without a prescription medicine in the last year because of the cost.
Another 12% said they had delayed getting their prescription for the same reason.
The NPA said that prescription charges are a “cruel tax on illness” as they called on the Chancellor to scrap the charges in the upcoming Budget.
Such a move would ease the cost of living, it said.
How do prescription charges work in the UK?
Prescription costs were abolished in Wales in 2007, in Northern Ireland in 2010 and in Scotland in 2011.
In England, the current prescription charge is now £9.90 per item.
Some prescriptions are free including contraception and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients.
And some people are exempt from paying the charge including under 16s, those age 16 to 18 in full-time education, people aged 60 and over, those with certain medical conditions and some benefit recipients.
The NPA, which has teamed up with a group of charities to call for the charge to be axed, has said it is a “national scandal” that people are deterred from buying medicines because of cost.
The Association, which represents around 6,000 community pharmacies, said pharmacists have reported that patients with multiple one-off medicines on a prescription have asked “which is the most important one to take?”
NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: “No patient should ever see cost as being a barrier to accessing the medicines they need but this polling shows an alarming number do.
“It is a national scandal and deeply unfair that anyone could consider stopping vital medicines because of cost.
“This cruel tax on illness, where some patients are exempt but others are forced to pay simply because they have the wrong kind of illness, undermines the founding principles of the NHS.
“If the Chancellor wants to tackle the rising cost of living and health inequalities, he should bring England into line with the rest of the UK and scrap this unfair and complex prescription tax.”
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of the charity Asthma and Lung UK, said: “For people with lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), being able to take medication shouldn’t come down to whether or not you can afford it.
“But because respiratory conditions aren’t included on the prescription charges exemptions list, people are left essentially paying for their right to breathe.”
Marianne Radcliffe, chief executive at Crohn’s and Colitis UK, added: “We support calls to scrap prescription charges in England.
“People with long-term conditions should not be forced to choose between their health and their finances simply because they need medication every day.”
Fiona Loud, from Kidney Care UK, said: “It’s simply not a fair system because it penalises ill health; everyone should be able to access the medication they need to stay well for free, without worrying about whether or not they can afford it.”
Laura Cockram, head of campaigns at Parkinson’s UK, added: “The upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the Government to take meaningful action. If they are serious about tackling the cost of living crisis and preventing avoidable ill health, the Government must scrap prescription charges in England, bringing us in line with the rest of the UK.”
10% put off purchasing their prescription in the past year
The NPA said that an estimated 11.6 million patients paid prescription charges in 2025/26.
Some 3.3 million people paid for a prescription prepayment certificate which covers NHS prescriptions for a fixed fee and can reduce costs for people who need medicines regularly.
There is also a PPC for women taking hormone replacement therapy, with around 730,000 women using this in 2025/26.
The NPA has estimated that £732.8 million was raised by prescription costs in in 2025/26.
Dr James Davies, director of research and insights at Community Pharmacy England, said: “The Chancellor has an opportunity in this Budget to remove one of the most unfair costs facing patients.
“No-one should be forced to choose between paying for essential medicines and making ends meet, yet these figures show that too many people are doing exactly that.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.