Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said she would scrap free prescriptions in order to fund 1,000 extra nurses and midwives in the NHS.
She is to detail the policy in her speech to the party's conference in Edinburgh later.
The additional staff would be recruited using money saved from ending universal free prescriptions, Ms Davidson said.
However, the policy would remain for children, students, over-60s, pregnant women and people on income support.
People on jobseekers allowance would also get free prescriptions if the Conservatives were to succeed at the Holyrood elections in 2016.
Free prescriptions in Scotland were introduced by the SNP government almost three years ago.
Who charges what? |
|
|---|---|
| Nation | Policy |
|
Scotland |
Universal free prescriptions since 2011 |
|
England |
Charge of £7.85, rising to £8.05 from 1 April |
|
Wales |
Universal free prescriptions since 2007 |
|
Northern Ireland |
Universal free prescriptions since 2010 |
The cost of funding the policy stood at about £57m for 2011-12.
Prescription charges were scrapped in Wales in 2007 and in Northern Ireland in 2010.
People in England continue to pay for their medicines and the fee is due to rise from £7.85 to £8.05 from 1 April.
Under the Tories' policy, the new charge in Scotland would be £6.85.
Ms Davidson will tell delegates: "Under the SNP, the number of nurses and midwives in Scotland has gone up and down like a fiddler's elbow. Two thousand posts gone over two years.
"Right now - hundreds of places down, creating an intolerable pressure on those who are left. Millions spent on bank or agency nurses to plug the gaps. It's not good enough. It's not good enough for staff and it's not good enough for patients."
She will continue: "It's time we did something about it.
"That's why today I am able to announce the Scottish Conservatives will pledge an extra 1,000 nurses and midwives for Scotland. And, once introduced, we will not let numbers drop below that mark.
Tory policy pledge
- Reintroduce prescription charge of £6.85
- Exemptions would remain for children and students aged up to 19
- The over-60s would continue to benefit
- Pregnant women would not be charged
- And people on income support and jobseekers allowance would be exempt
"And we'll pay for it by restoring the prescription charge. Not for the young, the pensioner, the pregnant or the poor - they'll stay exempt as they always were.
"But for people who're earning, who are overwhelmingly happy to make their contribution, they will know that their small sum will make a world of difference in wards across the country."
When free prescriptions were introduced in Scotland on 1 April 2011, the then Tory finance spokesman Derek Brownlee said giving free prescriptions to those who could afford to pay was "politically irresponsible".
He said the money to fund the move should have been spent on cancer drugs and better care for the young and elderly.
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