JOHN Blunt is probably misjudging the lady who did not pay to have her prescription dispensed (LET, November 12).

She may have bought a prepayment certificate, or been collecting medicine for an exempt person.

Limiting the number of prescriptions a doctor may write could be a good idea, as many of us can give examples of over-prescribing and over-willingness to issue repeat prescriptions.

More to the point is that some groups of people sign on the back of the form whether or not they are exempt, with little fear of prosecution; has anybody ever read of someone being charged with making a false declaration?

There should be more-effective checking of people claiming exemption, and high profile prosecutions (as of TV licence dodgers) of persons making fraudulent statements.

KEITH ELLEL, Westwood Avenue, Rishton.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.