Constitutional Court freezes one-euro prescription fee on medicines in Catalonia

The Constitutional Court has decided to suspend the Catalan regional government’s fee of one euro for every prescription issued within the Spanish health system, Spanish newswire Efe cited court sources as saying on Tuesday.

The ruling came in response to a suit filed by the Popular Party (PP) government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. It also plans to challenge the introduction of an identical surcharge on top of existing prescription fees by the PP-run region of Madrid at the start of this year. The measure had been effect in Catalonia for just over six months.

The government argued that the charge violates the constitutional right of citizens to equal treatment and that the regions do not have the right to any input in setting prices within the public health system, even though the central administration has delegated responsibility for healthcare to them.

The suspension was ordered as a cautionary measure while the Constitutional Court rules on the legal arguments presented by the government.

Catalonia introduced the charge as part of its austerity drive to meet a deficit-reduction target imposed by the central government. The region garnered 45.7 million euros from the measures between June 23 when it was introduced and the end of last year.