AQW 37960/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 24/10/2014
Answered On Date: 11/11/2014
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the annual cost of the free prescriptions programme, compared to the previous system which included exemptions.

Answer:

Based on the income generated under the previous system when a prescription charge of £3.00 per item was in place, alongside a number of exemption categories, it is estimated that the annual cost of the introduction of free prescriptions in April 2010 is £5m - £6million per annum.

It should be noted, however, that in the four years from 2010/2011 2013/2014 the Health and Social care Board has reported that it has reduced expenditure on prescriptions from £426m to £346m a reduction of over 18%.