Question reference: S6W-00455
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 3 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what medicines are excluded from free prescriptions.
Answer
All medicines prescribed for patients in Scotland on the NHS are free. Prescription charges were removed by the Scottish Government in 2011. Scottish Ministers believe that prescription charges are a barrier to good health for many people. This is particularly so for those with long-term conditions and those on low incomes who in the past have faced choices about which medicines they can afford to take. Evidence shows that this can lead to deterioration in health, absence from work, or extra hospital admissions.
Scottish Ministers believe that healthcare should be free at the point of access for everyone: this is the founding principle of the NHS. By abolishing prescription charges, we have ensured that everyone can access the medicines they need and make choices about managing and improving their health, whatever their income.