With NHS prescription charges set to rise to £7.20 next month, the British Medical Association called for their abolition (in line with Wales, Scotland and Ireland), describing the current situation as “outdated, iniquitous and detrimental to the health of many patients by acting as a barrier to their taking necessary medication” [1,2]. A BBC poll last year showed that three quarters of adults in the UK also support an end to the charges in England [3].