31 March 2011
Last updated at 19:15 ET
Prescriptions were free for all when the NHS was first set up.
England is now the only part of the UK still charging for some prescriptions after Scotland joined Northern Ireland and Wales in abolishing the fees.
About half a million people in Scotland should benefit from the change brought in by the SNP government.
It comes on the same day charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40.
The NHS in England raises more than £450m a year from the charges but doctors leaders and patients’ groups want free prescriptions across the UK.
The British Medical Association and the Patients Association have both campaigned for the change.
Some 90% of items dispensed in England are exempt from
Read More from the Article Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-12928485
