EXCLUSIVE

Government proposals to remove prescription charge exemptions for non-EU residents could increase the "bureaucratic burden" on pharmacists, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has warned.

The Department of Health (DH) plans to remove exemptions for patients that live outside the EU unless they have paid a surcharge to cover their NHS care, it announced on Monday (December 7).

Currently, patients who live outside the EU do not have to pay prescription charges if they fall into one of a number of exemption categories, which include over-60s and pregnant women.

RPS English Pharmacy Board chair Sandra Gidley told C+D the proposals could increase pharmacists' workload "without improving patient safety". "Pharmacists would be required to collect different levies based on the migrant status of the patient,” she said yesterday (December 9).

“These decisions have to look at what would benefit the population as a whole, rather than putting a few pennies in the piggy bank,” Ms Gidley said.

Some patients still exempt

The proposed changes will only apply to non-EU patients who have not paid a £200 annual fee to cover their NHS care, the DH said in its consultation document.

Certain non-EU patients would still be eligible for free prescriptions, including asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking, the DH told C+D.

In response to the consultatoin, Pharmacy Voice renewed its calls for the abolition of all prescription charges. “Fees can deter patients from taking prescribed medicines,” said chief executive Rob Darracott.

Pharmacists can respond to the consultation by downloading a response form from the DH's website.
 

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