The Welsh Government has recently published statistics that show a rise of 52 per cent in the number of prescription items dispensed in Wales between 2002-03 and 2012-13.
Official figures show that in Wales the number of prescriptions handed out reached 24.3 per person last year, compared with 18.7 in England, 18.6 in Scotland and 20.8 in Northern Ireland.
Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has called for the Welsh Government to abolish the universal free prescription drugs policy, which it introduced six years ago and cost the Welsh NHS £557.5 million last year.
Commenting, Mr George said:
“These figures are staggering and it proves that in these times of tighter public spending, this policy needs to be abandoned.
“While it is right that those who are most indeed continue to receive free prescriptions, the current universal policy which gives free medicines to millionaires simply cannot continue.
“It has led to a perception that medicines cost nothing, resulting in increased waste in the medicines budget, at a time when the Welsh NHS is struggling to cope with record-breaking cuts of over £800million in real terms over five years.
“The truth is that there is no such thing as a free prescription.
"I believe the Welsh Government must do two things – it must end the free-for-all policy and invest the savings into improved access to modern cancer treatments, extra cash for our hospice movement and improvements in stroke care and it must properly address the deep-rooted causes of chronic ill-health in Wales such as poverty, joblessness and smoking.”