Pharmacy leaders call for England to abolish prescription fees amid cost-of-living crisis
Pharmacy leaders say England's prescription fees are unfair, urging the Chancellor to remove them in the upcoming Budget. Survey shows many patients skip or delay meds due to cost.
A survey of 1,781 English adults commissioned by the National Pharmacy Association revealed that 79% consider prescription charges unfair, while 10% have missed a prescribed drug and 12% have postponed collection due to cost. Pharmacy leaders, including Phil Day of Pharmacy2U and NPA chairman Olivier Picard, describe the £9.90 per-item fee as a “cruel tax on illness” and call on the Chancellor to eliminate it in the forthcoming Budget, aligning England with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where charges were abolished years ago.
The poll also shows only 8% of patients hold a prescription prepayment certificate and 30% have never heard of one, despite its potential savings. Health charities such as Asthma and Lung UK, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Kidney Care UK and Parkinson’s UK back the demand, citing the burden on people with chronic conditions. The NPA estimates the charge generated £732.8 million in 2025/26, and officials suggest removing it would ease cost-of-living pressures and health inequalities. The Department of Health and Social Care has not commented.
Why it matters
Prescription fees may force patients to skip essential medicines, worsening health and inequality.
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