Summary
THE current system of charging for NHS prescriptions in Scotland is both unfair and unsustainable. The Executive spends nearly GBP 1 billion a year on drugs, yet prescription charges bring only a miserly GBP 45 million into the NHS.
More than 90 per cent of prescriptions are dispensed without charge, yet those still forced to pay include many with serious medical conditions. Numerous life-threatening and chronic diseases - such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, asthma and arthritis, as well as mental health problems - are not given exemption from charging, while less acute conditions are included.See the full content of this document
Extract
Leader:End This Absurd Anomaly
Each year, some 75,000 prescriptions are issued but not then dispensed, most probably because the patient cannot afford the bill on a recurring basis.
This chaotic and inequitable situation has ...See the full content of this document
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