Patient health will suffer because of the government's latest planned prescription charge hike, pharmacy leaders have warned.

The Department of Health announced the 20p (2.6 per cent) rise last Friday (March 1). It will take the cost of non-exempt prescriptions to £7.85 per item from April 1.

"At a time when many people are seeing their income drop, the increase is regrettable" Sue Sharpe, PSNC

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National pharmacy organisations maintained their strongly anti-prescription charge stance, with RPS spokesman Neal Patel branding the changes "deeply disappointing". The society was "deeply concerned that some people have to make choices about their health based on their ability to pay", he added. His views were supported by PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe, who denounced prescription charges as a "tax on the sick" and said she feared patients would struggle to pay the charge.

"We understand that the NHS is starved for resources and so may not be able to remove the charge but, at a time when many people are seeing their income drop, the increase announced today is regrettable," she said.

Pharmacy Voice chief executive Rob Darracott warned that collecting charges was harming patient care by tying up pharmacy teams in "workload [with] no patient benefit".

A Department of Health spokesman said the charges were "broadly in line with inflation" and were below inflation when factoring in the freeze on prescription payment certificate costs, which will remain at £29.10 and £104 for three months and a year respectively.

England is the only home country to charge patients for NHS prescriptions.