EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 29 JUNE 2017
Cost of prescriptions prevent people from getting
necessary medication
A third of people living with long-term conditions and currently paying prescription charges
have not collected their prescriptions due to concerns over cost, according to a new report
released today (29 June 2017) by the Prescription Charges Coalition, a coalition of more
than 40 major health charities.
The coalition surveyed more than 5,600 people living with long-term conditions such as
Parkinson’s, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Rheumatoid Arthritis for its Still Paying
the Price report. The findings have revealed a concerning picture of people struggling to
bear the costs of prescriptions, with many putting their health at risk by skipping or reducing
doses of medication or not collecting prescriptions altogether.
Prescription charges apply in England only, while all patients in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland are entitled to receive their prescriptions for free.
Of the 4,200 people who took part in the coalition’s research and are currently paying for
their prescriptions, nearly a third (30%) admitted that they are skipping or reducing
medication doses, with cost concerns a key factor for more than four out of ten (43%).
And as a direct result of reducing or skipping medications:
 Nearly three in five (59%) became more ill, with half of these needing to take time off
work.
 34% needed to visit their GP or hospital.
Laura Cockram, Head of Policy and Campaigning at Parkinson’s UK (which co-chairs the
Prescription Charges Coalition) said:
“We’ve heard distressing and alarming experiences from people who are facing impossible
choices over whether they should eat, heat their home or pay for essential medications to
treat life-threatening conditions.
“It’s a travesty that prescription charges are preventing people from getting the treatment
they need. This situation is dangerous and goes against the very principle of our NHS.
“We also believe the charges are draining vital resources, costing the NHS more in the longterm, due to people’s need to access GP and hospital care when they can’t afford their
medication.”
The coalition is calling for an extension of prescription charge exemptions to cover everyone
with a long-term condition, to ensure a fair and sustainable system that supports people to
stay well.
Cockram continued:
“The list of conditions exempt from charges has barely changed since 1968 and fails to
include most long-term conditions that are prevalent today.
“As a result, working age people with long-term – often life-long – conditions are
disproportionately affected by prescription charges, on top of facing the extra cost of
managing their health and lower-than-average incomes due to their often limited ability to
work.
“We urgently need a review and overhaul of the current system to ensure it is fit for purpose
and supports people facing long-term and increasing medication costs.”
At the moment, working age people with long-term conditions are contributing the bulk of the
£523.5 million that the Government receives in prescription charges revenue.
The coalition believes the financial consequences of people not being able to afford their
medication is likely to be far greater for the NHS and wider economy than the estimated
£360-430 million (which is less than half a per cent of the NHS budget in 2015/16) that free
prescriptions for working-age people with long-term conditions would cost.
Zoe Oakley, 37, from Poole, has high blood pressure due to inherited polycystic kidney
disease. She said:
“I’ve ended up in hospital twice because I wasn’t able to afford the blood pressure
medication prescribed to handle my condition.
“The first time, I woke up with a horrible headache and my blood pressure spiked to the point
that I needed to get an ambulance to hospital, where I had a lumbar puncture and an MRI
scan to make sure there was no bleeding in my brain. You cannot tell me that that was less
expensive for the NHS than covering the cost of my prescription.”
Each prescription in England costs £8.60. Prescription Prepayment Certificates, available for
three months at a cost of £29.10 or one year for £104, cover all prescription costs for the
time period paid for. These certificates are not widely publicised, however, with 40 per cent
of survey respondents saying they found out about the scheme more than a year after their
diagnosis.
ENDS
Media enquiries
Please contact: Molly Horsburgh, Senior Media and PR Officer, Parkinson’s UK: 0207 963
9351 or [email protected]; or Amy Dodge Media and PR Manager: 0207 963
1362 or [email protected]
Out of hours: 07961 460248
Notes to editors
Methodology:
The survey ran online for nine weeks from 3 March to 7 May 2017. It was advertised through
the website, email list and Twitter account of the Prescription Charges Coalition, as well as
the websites, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and newsletters of member organisations.
6,196 individuals completed the survey. Of these, 584 were excluded on the basis that they
(a) lived outside England, (b) did not have (or did not know whether they had) a long-term
condition or (c) had never been prescribed medication for their long-term condition.
A list of conditions exempt from prescriptions charges in England can be seen here.
About the Prescription Charges Coalition:
The Prescription Charges Coalition is a group of more than 40 organisations campaigning to
end unfair prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions.
Click here for a full list of coalition members
About Parkinson’s UK:
Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson's.
It affects 127,000 people in the UK – which is around one in 500 of the population.
Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological condition, for which there currently is no cure.
The main symptoms of the condition are tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity.
Parkinson's UK is the UK's leading charity supporting those with the condition. Its mission is
to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's through cutting edge
research, information, support and campaigning.
For advice, information and support, visit www.parkinsons.org.uk or call our free, confidential
helpline on 0808 800 0303.