Rx drug charge levels diverge across the UK

The UK government has announced that prescription charges for drugs in England will rise from L6.65 to L6.85 ($13.45) effective from April 1. The decision follows the Welsh Assembly's recent decision to scrap drug prescription charges for National Health Service patients on the same day (Marketletter February 26). About 87% of prescriptions are not charged, with exemptions for senior citizens, low-income families and other special cases, such as pregnant women and the unemployed.

Both contradictory pricing moves were announced by Labor party representatives: Brian Gibbons, Health Minister in Wales, and Lord Hunt, a junior Health Minister for England. In Wales, the decision to scrap the drug fee was supposedly taken "to ensure people are not put off getting medication they need because of cost," Mr Gibbons said.

However, the imminence of Welsh Assembly elections is likely to have played a role, given that in England, where no parliamentary elections are required before 2010, Lord Hunt focussed on the benefits of the increased charge for the delivery of NHS services. He said: "prescription charges are expected to raise some $425.0 million in 2007-2008. This is valuable income that can be ploughed back into the NHS."