In a consultation launched yesterday (July 1), the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) has proposed aligning the upper age exemption for prescription charges – currently set at 60 years – with the state pension age of 66.

This could mean that those aged 60 to 65 would have to pay for their prescriptions until they reach the age of 66, unless they qualify for another exemption.

Protection period

The DH has proposed two options for change. Option A would raise the qualifying age for free prescriptions to 66 for everyone. Option B would introduce a period of protection, allowing those in the 60-65 age bracket to be able to get their prescription free of charge.

Those aged 59, however, will have to pay for their prescriptions until they reach the state pension age.

Both options would raise on average £226 million per year from extra prescription charges over ten years, with option A said to generate additional revenues more quickly and by a larger amount, according to the impact assessment published alongside the consultation.

“Changing the upper age exemption will raise significant extra revenue for the NHS which found itself under unprecedented pressure in 2020,” the DH said.

Health Minister James Bethell added: “Prescription charges are an important source of income for the NHS, and the costs of providing free prescriptions continue to increase with our aging population.”

RPS: “Unacceptable tax on the sick”

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) chair of the English pharmacy board Thorrun Govind said the change in the upper age exemption is “unacceptable... in the current economic situation when many have been disadvantaged by the pandemic”.

“Such proposals will only further drive the health inequalities that have been highlighted by COVID-19,” she stressed.

The proposal to raise the age at which people can access free prescriptions means that “many more people will be affected by this tax on the sick at exactly the time at which they may be needing more medicines”, Ms Govind added.

Pharmacy bodies have long called for England to be brought in line with other UK countries, and scrap the prescription charge altogether. C+D launched a campaign with last year’s increase, to pause the prescription charge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DH consultation runs until August 26. You can respond online here.

Twitter reaction

If they want to align the age for free #prescriptions with pension age, they could reduce the pension age. Increasing the age for free prescriptions is discriminatory because over 60s have more #medicines.

— David Reissner (@davidreissner) July 2, 2021

If this is introduced it will marginalise those that cannot afford their prescriptions - will be very difficult decisions to make heating/food/housing/medicines
Even more need for benefit/risk based discussions by #pharmacists and #prescribers

— Dr Elizabeth Miller #ihavebeenvaccinated (@ejmille1) July 1, 2021

Ridiculous. They obviously heard “costs more to enforce than it brings in” and decided the right way was to charge more people.
They really are beginning to scrape the barrel now

— James Milner (@JmilnerPharm) July 1, 2021