Scotland scraps prescription charges
By Susie Sell, 03 March 2011
Prescriptions in Scotland will be free of charge from April 1, the Scottish Government has ruled.
The Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee passed legislation on Thursday to scrap prescription charges in Scotland.
The move follows a gradual reduction of prescription charges in Scotland over recent years. In 2007, a single item prescription cost £6.85. This was lowered to £5 in 2008/09 and £3 in 2009/10.
Party leader Alex Salmond said the move will ensure cost does not become a barrier to patients accessing prescription medication.
He said: ‘At time of economic difficult the last people we should be penalising are the sick. We want to move towards restoring the NHS to its founding principles: healthcare that’s free at the point of delivery and based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.’
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