Whether anticipated cost savings as a result of moving towards the use of non-branded and generic pharmaceutical products were a factor in …

The prescribing of generic medicines has been a long term initiative and was not the key decision behind the abolition of prescription charges. The prescribing of generic medicines can often cost considerably less than branded equivalents, and are clinically as effective. This is actively promoted within NHSScotland and accounts for 84% of all dispensed medicines in the community.
Prescription charges were abolished in April 2011 because Scottish Ministers believe that prescription charges are a tax on ill health, and are a barrier to good health for many people. This is particularly so for those with long-term conditions and those on low incomes who in the past have faced choices about which medicines they can afford to take.
The introduction of free prescriptions has been fully funded by the Scottish Government, at no cost to NHS budgets. Prescribing decisions are ultimately matters for each clinician taking into account the individual circumstances and treatment needs of each patient.