TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge and attitudes to prescription charges in New Zealand and England
AU - Norris, Pauline T.
AU - Wilson, Sarah E.
AU - Green, James A.
AU - Gu, Jessica
AU - Goddard, Shelby
AU - Deadman, Logan R.
AU - Dai, Jennefa
AU - Fastier, Kelsi
AU - Kothapally, Christina
AU - Shi, Wendy
AU - Whyte, Aleisha
AU - Aslam, Haleema
AU - Desai, Raeesa
AU - Wood, Nicole
AU - Sibley, Chris G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - Background Prescription charge regimes vary between countries but there is little research on how much people know about these or support values underlying them. Objective To explore, in New Zealand (NZ) and England, the public's knowledge of, and attitudes to, charges and whether knowledge and attitudes varied by demographic characteristics or by values about entitlement to public goods. Method A questionnaire was developed and administered to people over 18 recruited in public places in NZ and England. Results 451 people in NZ and 300 people in England participated. Less than half in each country knew the current prescription charge. In each country 62% of people were unaware of arrangements to protect people from excessive annual charges. Support for free or lower cost medicines for children, people over 65, people on low incomes, people on benefits, and people with chronic health problems was higher in England than in NZ. Support varied by participants’ demographic characteristics and, in the case of people on low incomes and people on benefits, by values about universal entitlements. Discussion Gaps in knowledge, particularly about mechanisms to protect people from high costs, are concerning and may lead to people paying excessive charges. There was consensus about the elderly, children and the chronically ill being “deserving” of lower prescription charges, but people who did not believe in universal access to public goods appeared to see people on low incomes or benefits as less “deserving”. In general, public views resembled those underlying the prescription charge regime in their country.
AB - Background Prescription charge regimes vary between countries but there is little research on how much people know about these or support values underlying them. Objective To explore, in New Zealand (NZ) and England, the public's knowledge of, and attitudes to, charges and whether knowledge and attitudes varied by demographic characteristics or by values about entitlement to public goods. Method A questionnaire was developed and administered to people over 18 recruited in public places in NZ and England. Results 451 people in NZ and 300 people in England participated. Less than half in each country knew the current prescription charge. In each country 62% of people were unaware of arrangements to protect people from excessive annual charges. Support for free or lower cost medicines for children, people over 65, people on low incomes, people on benefits, and people with chronic health problems was higher in England than in NZ. Support varied by participants’ demographic characteristics and, in the case of people on low incomes and people on benefits, by values about universal entitlements. Discussion Gaps in knowledge, particularly about mechanisms to protect people from high costs, are concerning and may lead to people paying excessive charges. There was consensus about the elderly, children and the chronically ill being “deserving” of lower prescription charges, but people who did not believe in universal access to public goods appeared to see people on low incomes or benefits as less “deserving”. In general, public views resembled those underlying the prescription charge regime in their country.
KW - Comparative study
KW - England
KW - New Zealand
KW - Prescription charges
KW - Public attitudes
KW - Public views
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85014469140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.02.016
DO - 10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.02.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 28279613
AN - SCOPUS:85014469140
SN - 1551-7411
VL - 14
SP - 180
EP - 186
JO - Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
JF - Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
IS - 2
ER -