The £7.10 fee patients in England have to pay for prescriptions is 'a bitter pill to swallow', according to BMA Wales.

Maybe not everyone because that leads to inevitable abuse.

Yes we should abolish script charges for everyone, why should people who work be penalised again, when we are the only ones paying ni and tax contributions to sart with - a double whammy if ill.

Free scripts sound great - but do nothing to encourage self-care and only drive more patients to the surgery to get a script for something they could but OTC. Changes to almost every aspect of the script charge system are long, long overdue, but surely need to be done in a joined up way to deliver acceptable and fair solutions for all: patients, the NHS organisationally and the professionals who work in it.

I agree - we all have examples of patients coming purely to get drugs available OTC because they're free. That said the current system is completely unfair on those with certain long term conditions e.g. asthma, COPD, heart disease or hypertension who don't qualify for free scripts like diabetics who happen to take metformin or hypothyroid patients. overhawl is long overdue. Why not reduce the charge to a nominal £1 or 2 pounds per item for everything to gently dissuade requesting scripts, keep it free for under 16 and over 60's and then encourage the use of pharmacy advice and OTC meds. If something is free is is often abused, a small sum often makes people think twice.

People with chronic illness on life long medication should definitely be exumpt

Absolutely Jonathan, it would be a lot fairer if everyone paid a set fee per prescription/item rather than a small percentage having to pay £7.10 per item.  In Scotland and Wales all prescriptions are free, but it's the English that are footing the bill I understand. 

Those under 16 and over 60 should receive free prescriptions, as should chronic disease sufferers - but only for those items directly related and attributable to their chronic condition.  With todays technology it should be  reasonably easy for this information to be placed on the patients records so that it isn't abused.

I get so frustrated by people coming in for a consultation and being advised to take simple analgesia then demanding a prescription because they are on benefits - many of them seem to be able to afford to smoke and drink but can't find the couple of pounds for a bottle of paracetamol for thir children.

What a good idea - £1 - £2 per script. Everyone can 'afford' £1-£2 and the GPs wouldnt be so overburdened by writing scripts. You are correct in saying if something is 'free' then people don't value it - look at primary care and secondary care access and the education system. Fact is, someone has to pay, eventually for whatever is consumed.

In response to Martin Grays comment, prescriptions in Scotland are not free, they cost £5.00 to those eligible. Exemptions apply to those under 16 over 60 or on certain benefits, and those with a medical exemption such as for thyroxine. I think £5.00 is excellent value for money even although I am a student who has asthma and my husband is unable to work due to MS. As he also has hyperthyroidism he is exempt from prescription charges. However if he wasn't we would need to pay for all the meds he is on. \(over 10 different meds each day) As he is only 36 this would add up to a very large sum over his lifetime. Sadly scripts are not free for all chronic illnesses. Prepayment certificates also offer excellent value for these conditions though and allow budgeting for those on low incomes.