Prescriptions Free in Northern Ireland from 1st April 2010
From 1st April 2010 people in Northern Ireland no longer have to pay for their medical prescriptions.
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The Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey said it marked "the end of a tax on illness. I believe that charging people for vital medication is totally against the principles of a health service that is free at the point of use," he said.
He added "The cost of abolishing prescription charges will be accommodated from within my existing budget. No existing services will be affected by this decision." |
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While some concern has been expressed if medications were free they would lose value and this could lead to increased waste and poor compliance by patients, the move has generally been welcomed.
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Many observers have commented that any potential downsides are more than offset, especially as this move will ensure that those patients who were foregoing urgent medication because of the cost no longer have to do so. The decision to scrap prescription charges was taken in September 2008 but only came into effect today. Wales scrapped prescription charges in 2007 while in Scotland charging for prescriptions is gradually being phased out.
As prescription charges have been abolished, or are in the process of being abolished in all other UK regions, pressure is mounting on the government to commit to axe prescription charges in England also. |