The cost of NHS prescriptions went up to almost £10 on Wednesday, May 1st.
Prescription charges went from £9.65 to £9.90 per item.
The 12-month NHS prescription prepayment certificate which covers all NHS prescriptions for a set price will increase from £111.60 to £114.50.
TV pharmacist and healthcare lawyer, Thorrun Govind from Bolton, has spoken out about the increase and how it will affect the public.
She said: “This is yet another kick in the teeth for patients already suffering with the cost of living crisis.
“It is a tax on the sick which pharmacists are forced to collect on behalf of the government.
“They need to scrap the prescription charge, so England is on par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
Thorrun appeared on BBC Breakfast to talk about her views on the price increase.
She said in a X post: “Prescription charges are a tax pharmacy collect for the government.
“Pharmacies aren’t getting paid for the price they pay for medications.
“I didn’t sign up to be a tax collector and we have better things to be doing with our time than collecting the prescription charge.”
Thorrun also urged people to check if they were eligible for free prescriptions.
She said: “We’re dealing with medicine shortages at the moment, so I really feel for my patients, some of them are struggling to afford their medicine and then they’re having to deal with shortages of medication.”
Thorrun regularly visits Bolton pharmacies to speak on issues affecting the health service.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England said that prescription charges should be scrapped in England and called it a ‘dark day’ for patients having to now pay this new price.
RPS chairwoman Tase Oputu said: “This is a dark day for patients who will now have to pay nearly £10 for each item on their prescription.
“Amid the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in prescription charges will hit working people on low incomes the hardest.
“The relentless annual increase in the prescription charge is making medicines unaffordable for many.
“This is totally unacceptable.”
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Thorrun also highlighted the medicine shortage in Bolton and the rest of the country.
Thorrun previously told The Bolton News: “Across the country there are medicine shortages that pharmacies are having to deal with.
“Every pharmacist is having to deal with this and that’s why we are asking patients to be patient with us to ensure they have the medicines they need.
“If there were no shortages and we would not have to find time to do that then we could spend time with patients.”
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