ArticleBMJ open2024
Prescription charge policy acceptance among UK adults with and without long-term health conditions: a mixed-method survey.
Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Perverse incentives and ethical challenges for prescribing in English general practice.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Understanding the experience of prescription charges in people living with parkinson's disease: a focus group study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Prescription charge policy acceptance among UK adults with and without long-term health conditions: a mixed-method survey.BMJ open · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesSince their introduction in 1952, per-prescribed item charges in England have continually risen. This study investigated the acceptability and impact of per-prescribed item charges, and awareness and use of initiatives designed to reduce prescription charge financial burden (the prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) initiative), in people living with and without long-term health conditions (LTHCs) in the UK.
designCross-sectional mixed-method survey of people with and without an LTHC across the UK.
participants381 people, 267 people with an LTHC and 114 people without an LTHC, participated. OUTCOME MEASURES: Acceptability and impact of prescription charge policy, awareness and use of the PPC.
resultsOver half (53.2 %) of participants disagreed with current per-prescribed item charges. In most domains, the impact of prescription charges did not differ between people with and without LTHCs. However, people with LTHCs were more likely to report financial burden and deviate from prescribed medication regimes. 35.29% of respondents were aware of the PPC, with people with LTHCs being more likely to be aware of and use this initiative. Qualitative findings indicate perceived inequalities in current policy with themes including (1) the need for re-evaluation; (2) the burden of prescription charges; (3) inconsistencies and inequalities in current policy; and (4) positive reflections of prescription charge policy.
conclusionsInconsistencies in current policy and a lack of public support may suggest that a re-evaluation of current policy is required. The lack of difference in the impact of prescription charge policy between people with and without LTHCs indicates that the effects of such policy are not constrained to people with LTHCs. Thus, policy amendments would benefit the wider population. Systematic efforts to increase awareness of the PPC and reduce inequalities in medical exemption criteria are suggested. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Study protocol and analysis strategy are preregistered on Open Science Framework (https://shorturl.at/IrvnS).
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