Prescription Charges Review
posted: 01/06/2010
The long-awaited review of prescription charges by Professor Ian Gilmore has appeared. Over a year ago, Gordon Brown promised at the Labour Party Conference to end prescription charges for people with long term conditions. People with cancer were exempted from charges but people with other long-term conditions, like HIV, are still waiting.
The report recommends that people with long-term conditions should have free prescriptions. It sets out a plan for how the government should change the unfair prescriptions system to make sure people get the medications they need to stay well.
You can read the full report.
Depends on autumn spending review
The coalition government has welcomed the review, but says it will only consider this in the autumn, as part of the Spending Review. Many MPs already support this campaign.
HIV and prescriptions
Since the start of 2009 Greater Manchester HIV clinics (among most other HIV clinics) have stopped prescribing any drugs except those for HIV and their treatment side effects. People must now turn to a GP for prescriptions for all other healthcare needs, such as depression and anxiety, and sexual dysfunction.
Some help already available
For some people with HIV this means paying for these prescriptions - some people are exempt, some are exempt because of low income, and some people can buy a discount card. Find out what help is available with English prescription charges here.
There are 22 members of the Prescription Charges Coalition, including Terrence Higgins Trust:
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group, Arthritis Care, Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Asthma UK, Behcets Syndrome Society, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Disability Alliance, FibroAction, Klinefelter’s Syndrome Association, Mind, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MS Society, National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Parkinson’s UK, Pernicious Anaemia Society, Rethink, The Stroke Association, Skin Care Campaign, Terrence Higgins Trust
Permalink