The results and challenges of using administrative health data within a natural experimental evaluation of the abolition of prescription fees in Scotland

Abstract

In April 2011 Scotland abolished the prescription fee (co payment) which had applied to all community prescribed items. Nicola Sturgeon, then Scottish Health Secretary, had described the prescription fee as a 'tax on ill health.' Beyond reporting on the change in number of items prescribed, no evaluation of the policy had been planned or commissioned. However, the availability of administrative prescribing and hospital admissions data permitted the design and conduct of an interrupted time series evaluation of any impact of the policy change.