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Prescription price set to be cut | Prescription price set to be cut |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Prescription charges are to be reduced from £6.85 to £3 from Thursday, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has said. | Prescription charges are to be reduced from £6.85 to £3 from Thursday, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has said. |
Prepayment certificates are also to be reduced, from £35.85 to £9 for a four-month certificate, and from £98.70 to £25 for a 12-month certificate. | Prepayment certificates are also to be reduced, from £35.85 to £9 for a four-month certificate, and from £98.70 to £25 for a 12-month certificate. |
The move comes ahead of the abolition of prescription charges in Northern Ireland in April 2010. | |
Mr McGimpsey said the reductions would make a real difference for people who needed to buy medication regularly. | Mr McGimpsey said the reductions would make a real difference for people who needed to buy medication regularly. |
'Suffering' | 'Suffering' |
He said the abolition of charges would bring to an end the "inequitable system which ranked one person's suffering above another's". | He said the abolition of charges would bring to an end the "inequitable system which ranked one person's suffering above another's". |
"Reducing the charge to £3 is the beginning of the process towards abolition of prescription charges," he said. | "Reducing the charge to £3 is the beginning of the process towards abolition of prescription charges," he said. |
"The introduction of free prescriptions in April 2010 will bring great comfort to thousands of people who suffer from ill-health and do not need the added anxiety of trying to find the money to pay for vital medication." | |
Mr McGimpsey said the cost of the reductions would be met "from within existing budgets" and no existing service would suffer as a result. | Mr McGimpsey said the cost of the reductions would be met "from within existing budgets" and no existing service would suffer as a result. |
"I will be putting processes in place to ensure that prescribing rates are kept within acceptable limits," he said. | "I will be putting processes in place to ensure that prescribing rates are kept within acceptable limits," he said. |
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