Petition · past parliament

Review the prescription tax especially for the over 60s.

Rejected 16 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government is considering raising the age for free prescriptions from 60 to 66 years old. It is time the £9.35 prescription tax was reviewed and reformed. I was a pharmacy technician & I am very aware that the prescription tax costs more in administration to run than it brings in!
I speak as a former training family doctor. Some patients ask their doctor "which of these can I miss?" due to the cost of multiple medications. Sometimes it's cheaper on private prescription. Some people resort to buying medication online which can result in death. I propose a flat rate of 50p per item with a cap of £3 per prescription with exemptions for the elderly. There is no need for cost cutting. Well organised good quality medicine is always value for money medicine!

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.

We're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. We're not sure if you want a review of costs or a reduction in costs.

You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.

Timeline

5 Jul 2021 Petition opened for signatures
12 Jul 2021 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 16
Status Rejected
Rejected 12 Jul 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.