Elderly people face extra prescription charge

Patients in some of the poorest parts of the UK may be forced to pay an extra charge for their prescriptions, after plans by pharmacy chain Boots to introduce an administration charge of £3 a week for dispensing drugs using a monitored dose system, such as Nomad or Manerex.

The decision could mean the introduction of a new form of postcode prescribing, one local medical committee has warned.

Monitored dose systems are commonly used by elderly patients who often have to take four or more …