The first prescription price hike in 20 years was one of two announcements from Health Minister Tony Ryall yesterday ahead of next Thursday's Budget.
Also announced was an extra $101 million over the next four years for more elective operations, diagnostic scans, and improved cancer services.
Dunedin South MP and disabilities spokeswoman Clare Curran said Mr Ryall was taking from the most vulnerable to pay for more elective surgery.
The prescription move was "false economy", as it would cause more health problems and greater hardship.
Keeping prescription charges low should be a priority because so many other living costs were rising for the vulnerable, she said.
Mornington Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Keith Newton favoured tiered charges rather than a universal charge, saying some people could afford to pay more, others could not.
The price increase would affect customers who did not have enough money to pay for prescriptions at the current rate.
The Dunedin pharmacy allowed people to put prescriptions on credit - some paid up later, but others did not.
Mr Newton expected the rise to make life more difficult when dealing with vulnerable people.
Methodist Mission chief executive Laura Black, of Dunedin, said the Government needed to stop placing the burden of the recession on to the people who could least afford it.
"It's not a lot of money [the $2 rise] but to people who have no money, any increase is a burden."
She believed the $2 rise could tip the balance for people considering a trip to the GP, when added to the appointment charge.
Mr Ryall pointed out the universal charge was capped to a maximum of 20 items per family per year, after which prescriptions were free.
"Currently, because of this safety net, about a third of all prescriptions are at no charge to the patient.
"This is the first time the prescription charge has been increased in 20 years. Importantly, there will continue to be no charge for under-6s."
Savings of $20 million in the first year and $40 million in subsequent years would be "reinvested" in health.
Winners in the $101 million boost over four years were elective surgery ($48 million, an extra 4000 operations a year); better IT systems to improve access to diagnostic scans ($16 million); a national patient register for heart conditions ($4 million); and better and faster cancer treatment ($33 million).
"This includes funding for dedicated nurses who will co-ordinate care and support for individual patients throughout the course of their cancer treatment," Mr Ryall said.
The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand supported the prescription price rise, saying the current model was unsustainable.
