Scotland's Rx charge cut 20%, to be abolished by 2011

The government levy on prescription drugs in Scotland has been cut by 20% from GBP5 ($7.40) to GBP4, effective from April, with the commitment of  the Scottish Parliament to abolish the charge altogether by 2011. With  the tax previously scrapped in Wales (Marketletters passim) and due to  be eliminated in Northern Ireland next year, this means that England,  where the prescription charge has risen from GBP7.10 to GBP7.20, is the only  part of the UK where National Health Service patients pay towards their  medicines.

The UK's public broadcaster, the BBC, reports that cancer patients will  be exempt from paying an Rx charge throughout the UK from the current  year, although the lack of provision of newer treatments following a  spate of negative rulings by the National Institute for Health and  Clinical Excellence (NICE) means that patients may have to top up by  paying private sector rates for drugs, a practice which was only made  legal in England late last year (Marketletter November 10, 2008), with  Scotland following in December (Marketletter December 22, 2008).