'Saint' falls foul of NHS rules
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Your support makes all the difference.A pharmacist who has saved his patients thousands of pounds in prescription charges faced a disciplinary panel yesterday for being in breach of his National Health Service contract.
Allan Sharpe, whose pharmacy is in Newbridge, Gwent, ignores the prescription forms when the NHS prescription charge of pounds 5.25 is more than the cost of the drug itself. But his "Robin Hood" attitude in the former mining community has brought him into confrontation with the health service.
Mr Sharpe faces a six-week wait for the outcome of his hearing, but he is determined to continue his crusade even if the five-strong disciplinary committee, which includes one pharmacist, decides against him.
The case against Mr Sharpe, 55, was brought before the Mid Glamorgan Family Health Service Authority by the Gwent Health Commission, and is being seen as test case. After the hearing in Cardiff, he said: "Whatever happens I am not going to stop saving my patients money. It was a very difficult meeting and the health authority showed me little sympathy. But I am still hopeful I will win this - I certainly hope I do for the sake of my patients. I hope this will prompt the Government and the NHS to sort out the problems with the prescription system and make it fair. I am not prepared to play at being a tax collector for the Government."
The pharmaceutical industry stresses that the charge is not related to the cost of the drugs, but is in fact a tax. About half of the drugs prescribed cost less than pounds 5.25, many substantially less, under 50p.
Mr Sharpe said: "If a medicine can be bought at a cheaper price than the NHS prescription then that's the price I will sell it at. I do not believe the National Health Service or chemists have the right to deprive patients of that right to cheaper drugs."
He added: "I'm not really concerned about the people who are well-off and can afford to pay the prescription charge. I'm trying to help those who are struggling to get by and fall outside government exemptions for prescription charges."
Mr Sharpe is supported by his local community. One of his customers, Keith Jones, a 57-year-old former miner who suffers from arthritis, said: "That man has saved me hundreds and hundreds of pounds - he's a saint.
''Everyone around here is backing him to the hilt ..."
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