Petition Zero Rate VAT on Medicines

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The Treasury should Zero Rate VAT on all medicines.

Currently all medicines purchased over the counter are subject to 20% VAT. FP-10 Prescriptions are exempt from VAT, as are private prescriptions. However NHS hospitals also have to pay VAT on all their medicines.

Zero Rating would:
- Reduce the cost of self medication, encouraging patients not to use their GP when it is not necessary.
- Reduce administrative burden for community pharmacies (and the Treasury) who have to reclaim VAT.
- Reduce drug costs to NHS Hospitals by 20%, allowing NHS hospitals to compete with independant providers who do not have to pay VAT.

This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months

22 signatures

Progress of the petition towards its next target: 22 of 10,000 signatures required to get a government response

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10,000 signatures required to get a government response

Date closed 22 August 2012
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