Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle prescription fraud.

Steps to tackle National Health Service prescription fraud include the introduction of Real Time Exemption Checking (RTEC) technology, which will enable pharmacies to confirm a person’s eligibility for free NHS prescriptions, prior to dispensing their prescription items. RTEC is due to be piloted in 2019. Prior to the introduction of RTEC, prescription exemption checking is being undertaken retrospectively by the NHS Business Services Authority.

The national ‘Check Before You Tick’ communications campaign is also live, encouraging people to check whether they are entitled to free NHS prescriptions before claiming them. A new online tool is available to help people check their eligibility for free NHS prescriptions.