Pharmacists warn against changes to free prescription age for older people

Proposals to increase the age at which older people can get free prescriptions are “hard to understand” at a time when bills and the cost of living are soaring, pharmacists have said.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) railed against England’s prescription costs in general, saying the bureaucracy involved in charging patients is a “waste” of their time.

“We’re here to make people well, we’re not here to be tax collectors,” said Thorrun Govind, the RPS’s English pharmacy board chair.

The Government is considering the responses to its consultation on raising the upper age exemption for prescription charges in England from 60 to 66, in line with the state pension age. Without any protections for people already getting free prescriptions, this could affect up to 2.4 million people, according to Age UK.

There is speculation that any changes could come into force from April but ministers have said no decision has yet been made. Prescriptions are free in Wales and Scotland.

Ms Govind said: “This is in a year with an unprecedented pandemic and people are being hit right now with energy bills. It’s going to make health inequalities worse at a time when people are already feeling the pinch.”

Increasing the free prescription age was “hard to understand, especially right now”, she said. “If you think about people who maybe have developed long Covid, they’re going to need healthcare support more than ever.”

‘It’s the people who are still contributing, still working, who will be hit’

Serena Martin, who is from Witney in Oxfordshire and works part-time in housing administration, hopes the Government does not press ahead with the proposal.

The 62-year-old, who takes medication for Barrett’s oesophagus, osteopenia (the stage before osteoporosis) and hypertension, told i: “A lot of people are on a lot of medication that helps them stay working… and enables them to continue to contribute [to society] rather than drain.

“With the fuel prices… the national insurance rises, anybody who might have just enough income to tick along quite nicely is going to be hit. The people who have decided to cut back on their hours because [of their health]. It’s the people who are still contributing, still working.

“They are on that peculiar level where they’ve got enough to live on but not enough for all the extra bits that are being thrown at them.

“Would I have to try to take on more hours? And then that would be at a detriment to my health. Or would I have to give up work entirely to show that I get the benefit of free prescription? And it’s also the injustice of the fact that it’s only the English that will be paying for this.

“It will probably cost an awful lot more in terms of the NHS, if people stopped taking things or trried to eke things out.

Ms Martin’s petition against the proposal has more than 191,000 signatures so far. “I think it shows that people value the free prescription over 60. They see a value in everybody having it across the board without mean-testing,” she said.

People on low incomes will continue to be able to claim free prescriptions rather than pay £9.35 per item, while there are money-saving prepayment options for those who require regular medication. And the Government could decide to continue to protect current 60 to 65-year-olds with free prescriptions if the proposal goes ahead.

Increasing the free prescription age could generate more cash for frontline services, as all the money made from prescriptions is passed on to the NHS.

In 2019, £600m was raised in England, but Ms Govind, who works as a pharmacist in Manchester, said the figure “doesn’t take into account the financial consequences to the NHS and social care of subsequent ill health if people don’t collect a medicine because of the cost. This can include the cost of GP appointments and hospital admissions.”

She added: “We do have some patients who already say to us, ‘Which medication should I pick because I can’t afford both.’

“It’s already frustrating because we waste our time collecting prescription charges, which is an admin task… So let’s face it, we would like to get rid of that job of having to actually sort the prescriptions out.”

Morgan Vine, head of policy at the charity Independent Age, said: “With the cost of living rising, older people have told us they are already cutting back on essentials like food and heating. Medication cannot become another financial burden, forcing people to make impossible decisions about how to stay well on their limited income.

“Taking free prescriptions away from this age group is a false economy which will likely increase the challenges many people already face when managing their health conditions.

“Though some people in later life living on low incomes would still qualify for free prescriptions, for example if they get an income-related benefits such as pension credit, this safety net is not working and will not ensure that everyone who needs free prescriptions receive them.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said: “Around 89 per cent of community prescription items in England are free of charge, and people don’t pay if they are on a low income, over 60, or have certain medical conditions.

“The upper age exemption has not changed since 1995 and that is why we have consulted on restoring the link between this and the state pension age. We are considering the responses carefully and will respond in due course.”

If you’re concerned about the free prescription proposals and would like to share your story, please email serina.sandhu@inews.co.uk