The reduction in charges took effect from January 1 and will last until April next year, when free prescriptions for everyone will be introduced across Northern Ireland.
And the cut could not have come at a better time with medical experts reporting a massive increase in flu cases over the Christmas and New Year periods.
The deputy chief medical officer, Dr Elizabeth Mitchell, said the number of cases reported in December was the highest in eight years.
She said in one week before Christmas some 196 people per 100,000 of population had attended GP surgeries with flu or flu-like symptoms. In December 2006 the numbers were around 100 per 100,000.
That trend has been repeated across the South Tyrone area with Alistair Harvey from Gordon's Chemist in Dungannon reporting an increase in customers requiring flu medication this year.
"There has certainly been an increase in the sales of cough bottles and decongestants in recent weeks," he said. "Normally sales would pick up in January but it has come a lot earlier this year.
"Our chemist was on rota after Christmas so it was a very busy time. The number of flu cases has definitely got worse this year and it is important that people follow the usual advice, making sure they rest and take plenty of fluids."
However there is some good news with the price of prescriptions falling to £3 per item from last Thursday.
Prepayment certificates are also coming down in price, from £35.85 to £9 for a four month certificate and from £98.70 to £25 for a 12 month certificate.Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said that reducing the charge to £3 was the beginning of the process towards abolition of prescription charges.
"The reduction in the cost of prepayment certificates will make a real difference for those people who need to buy medication on a regular basis," he said.



Read the full story in this week's issue of the TYRONE TIMES