The GHA has issued a statement reassuring the public that patient prescriptions "are not and will not be means tested."

A statement from the GHA follows below:

The GHA notes the contents of a letter published in the media and wishes to reassure the public  that patient prescriptions are not and will not be means tested.  

The change in prescription policy announced by the GHA in April this year clearly outlined the  move to generic branded medication in lieu of more expensive, but clinically equivalent, branded  products. The announcement also openly stated that the GHA would no longer provide  prescriptions for products that are easily available for purchase over-the-counter, for example  cough syrups and nappy creams, which in many cases are cheaper for the patient to purchase  directly than on prescription. The GHA estimates that this change in policy, along with other  measures will amount to savings of up to £4.3 million a year to the taxpayer and for re-investment  in the Health Service.  

Nevertheless, patients can be reassured that those who require medication or treatment that is  not available over the counter continue to receive it on prescription, where it is considered  necessary by clinical assessment. This does not equate to means testing. Simply, it means that  clinicians determine whether a certain medication or treatment is beneficial to the patient, to  ensure that all patients receive the appropriate levels of care that they need.  

The Director General, Prof Patrick Geoghegan, OBE, said: ‘My door is always open to patients and  their families who would like to discuss their experiences or concerns with me. I want to take this  opportunity to reassure patients and their families that the GHA is not means testing  prescriptions and all patients will receive the medications and treatments that they need. They  may have noticed a change to the branding of their prescribed medication but the medicine itself  is exactly the same. Patients who require treatment or medication for long-term health  conditions or for more complex forms of minor illnesses also continue to receive this on  prescription. This policy makes clinical sense in line with international best practice, and also  makes sense for taxpayers who are no longer footing the bill for unnecessarily expensive branded  medications or over-the-counter products.’