"Paying just to breathe: the injustice of asthma sufferers forced to foot the bill for their meds" is a powerful article which highlights why everyone with long-term conditions should be exempt from prescription charges in England.

Currently, only certain medical conditions are exempt from charges and the list  (see below) has hardly changed since 1968 so  it is now outdated and makes no sense in terms of the conditions which have been included and excluded.
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People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS  prescriptions if:

• they have one of the conditions listed below, and
• they hold a valid medical exemption certificate.

Medical exemption certificates are issued on application to people who have:

• a  permanent fistula (for example caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance
• a form of hypoadrenalism (for example Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
• diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism
• diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone
• hypoparathyroidism
• myasthenia gravis
• myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement)
• epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy
• a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months

Or are undergoing treatment for cancer:

• including the effects of cancer, or
• the effects of current or previous cancer treatment

We were extremely sorry to hear the news today that prescription charges are to increase once again from 1st April this year.  

Responding to the announcement that there will be an  increase in charges to £8.40 in England on April 1st 2016, the Prescription Charges Coalition have issued the following comment:
 
"The continued rise in the charge for prescriptions forms a barrier year on year for working age people who rely on regular medication to manage long-term conditions. The charge applies to each item on the prescription, so if you have to take a number of medicines, as many with long-term conditions do, the cost can quickly mount up. Research shows that 1 in 3 of those with long-term conditions have not collected a prescription because of the cost. This can lead to poorer health, expensive hospital admissions and affect productivity at work. We welcome the fact that the pre-payment certificate cost has been frozen; however many people with fluctuating and long term conditions have told us that this cost can still be prohibitive. 
 
The Prescription Charges Coalition is pressing for people with long-term conditions in England to be exempt from prescription charges. They are disproportionately affected due to their need for ongoing medication, yet this is vital to keep them well and to prevent potentially life-threatening complications. Medicines are prescribed for a reason and a patient’s ability to pay should not be part of the equation. Those living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland no longer have to pay as prescription charges have been abolished.
 
The list of those exempt from paying for their medicines due to medical conditions has barely changed in England since 1968, leaving it outdated, illogical and unfair. It is now well past its sell-by date. During this time, new illnesses and treatments have been discovered and diseases which were then fatal are now lived with for decades."

The annual Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) has been frozen at £104 and the 3 month PPC at £29.10.
This will save you money if you require more than 12 items per year or more than 3 items over a 3 month period.

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