NHS bosses in the region have been accused of ageism after a crackdown on “wasteful”

prescriptions.

NHS County Durham and Darlington has asked GP practices to restrict repeat prescriptions to a 28-day supply as part of a Government push to reduce waste in prescribed medicines.

What angered Philip Halton, from Kemble Green South, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is that his practice has started the crackdown with the over-60s.

Mr Halton, who needs a daily antacid pill after undergoing surgery for oesophagael cancer seven years ago, was annoyed when his wife, Val, was told, that once he turned 60, that he could no longer have his usual “double prescription”

of 56 daily pills, instead he would get 28.

He sent a letter to the Bewick Crescent Surgery, in Newton Aycliffe, explaining that he preferred two months’ supply of his medication, in case he ever forgot to request a repeat prescription.

“I cannot understand what the problem is,” he wrote.

“Your policy is ageist.”

He asked for it to be changed without delay, or risk the matter being taken to the European Court. A letter from the practice to Mr Halton, stated that the directive recommending the 28-day limit came from the primary care trust’s medicines management team and was applied to “all over-60s exempt from paying prescription charges”.

In a second letter, practice manager Helen Hobson said she was sorry she was unable to change the policy, but offered a repeat prescription service from a local pharmacist.

Last night, Mr Halton said: “I am not impressed. I don’t waste anything and I wouldn’t apply for the extra tablets if I didn’t need them.”

A spokeswoman for NHS County Durham and Darlington said: “Evidence shows that prescribing for periods of longer than 28 days significantly increases the risk of patients not taking their medication as prescribed and can also result in costly medicines waste.

“Some GP practices have adopted 28-day prescribing for all of their patients on repeat prescriptions, whereas others have applied the policy mainly to those patients in receipt of free prescriptions.

“GP practices may continue to prescribe more days of supply to patients who pay for their prescriptions in order to reduce the potential financial impact on those patients.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the initiative was a local matter.