NPA says scrap Scottish prescription charges
A Scottish parliament decision to scrap all prescription charges in the country has been backed by the NPA.
The Scottish parliament's health committee passed legislation on March 2 that will result in all prescriptions for patients in Scotland being free from April 1.
NPA representation manager in Scotland Janice Oman said prescription charges placed an administrative burden on pharmacists and deterred patients from getting medicines they needed.
"We support any changes that remove unnecessary impediments to accessing medicines," she said.
"Pharmacists, like other health care professionals, experience great pressures on their time and any release of time could be used to enhance patient care," she added.
To compensate for the cost of scrapping prescription charges, the NHS could make savings by tackling medicines waste and ensuring greater medicine compliance, she suggested.
"The cost of scrapping prescription levies is small in relation to the savings that are possible with a sharp focus on reducing medicines waste and more effective medicines use," she said.
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