A third of people living with long-term conditions and currently paying prescription charges have not collected their prescriptions due to concerns over cost, according to a new report by the Prescription Charges Coalition.
The coalition surveyed more than 5,600 people living with long-term conditions such as Parkinson’s, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Rheumatoid Arthritis for its Still Paying the Price report. The findings show people struggling to bear the costs of prescriptions, with many putting their health at risk by skipping or reducing doses of medication or not collecting prescriptions altogether.
Of the 4,200 people who took part in the coalition’s research and are currently paying for their prescriptions, nearly a third (30%) admitted that they are skipping or reducing medication doses, with cost concerns a key factor for more than four out of ten (43%).
And as a direct result of reducing or skipping medications:
- Nearly three in five (59%) became more ill, with half of these needing to take time off work.
- 34% needed to visit their GP or hospital.
Prescription charges apply in England only, while all patients in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are entitled to receive their prescriptions for free.
The Prescription Charges Coalition is a group of nearly 40 organisations campaigning to end unfair prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions. Disability Rights UK is a member of the coalition.
