Following the finding by Janet Finch-Saunders, Assembly Member for Aberconwy, that the number of prescriptions has rocketed in Wales since 2007-8, she is calling for major reform to Labour’s universal free prescription policy introduced in 2007.
Janet said:
“The number of items prescribed in Wales has increased by 17.9 million, 29%, since 2007-08. What this means is that the number of prescriptions reached 79,903,730 here in 2017-18.
“Free prescriptions were introduced in Wales on 1 April 2007. It cannot be doubted therefore that making prescriptions available free of charge has been a major contributory factor to the ever increasing mountain of medicine being prescribed.
“When considering that the cost of prescriptions last year was a staggering £578,427,483.27, the burden caused by the Welsh Labour Government’s free prescription policy is clear. Questioning its continuity in its current form is supported by the fact that the average net ingredient cost of every item prescribed was £7.24 in 2017-18.
“It is common knowledge that many of these items are available for far less in local supermarkets, so I think we all do need to ask ourselves whether it is fair that we continue to visit our GPs and have so much prescribed allegedly ‘for free’, but truthfully, on the state.
“Personally, I would introduce a £5 nominal charge for prescriptions for those who can afford it so that savings can be reinvested and pressure reduced on our finances. This would be for people in the highest, 40%, tax bracket, and those who were previously exempt, such as under 25s, older people, and cancer patients would still receive their prescriptions for free.
“It’s time for Welsh Labour to stop allowing paracetamol, athlete’s foot powder, strepsils and much more been given out for nothing when many of us could actually afford to buy it cheaper than it costs the state to supply”.
ENDS
Written Assembly Question to Vaughan Gething AM, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services:
Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the fact that the number of prescriptions in Wales has increased by 17.9 million since 2007-08, and undertake a review of universal free prescription with the aim of introducing a nominal charge for those who can afford to pay?
Notes:
Prescriptions by GPs in Wales, 2017-18
Prescriptions summary data by year
Prescription items and cost by area, GP cluster, BNF chapter and year