Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE BITTEREST PILL
Record numbers are falsely accused of prescription fraud
MORE than 20,000 people were wrongly fined for claiming free prescriptions last year – even though they had paid.
The number incorrectly hit with the £100 charge was nearly 20 times higher than five years ago.
And patients’ groups said last night the soaring figure was an outrage.
Rachel Power, of the Patients Association, said: “The system is dysfunctional. A patient can end up facing a fine because of a mistake by a pharmacist – this clearly can’t be right.”
A total of 21,497 patients appealed fines they should not have had last year, up from 1,122 in 2014/15.
A fraud crackdown that began in 2014 had led to increased checks.
The fines were eventually overturned. The NHS Business Services Authority said it was due to pharmacists ticking the wrong box on forms.
Ms Power added: “It’s an outrage that such a badly administered system has gone from pursuing 1,122 cases in 2014/15, rising every year to almost 20 times that in five years.
“Some of the people who received these notices will be vulnerable.
“The impact of letters threatening court action, particularly on those being treated for mental illnesses, should not be underestimated.”
The National Audit Office found a further 1.7 million fines since 2014 had been quashed because the recipients qualified for free treatment.
That is nearly one in three of all penalty charges issued. Around 90 per cent of prescriptions are free.
Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, said: “Far too many people are needlessly receiving distressing letters or fines.
“The system is over-complicated and not fit for purpose.”
Brendan Brown, director of citizen services, said: “The NHS loses millions of pounds each year and it’s important we protect funds from loss through error or deliberate fraud.”