National is standing by its promise to re-introduce the $5 prescription fee that's being scrapped in the Budget.

Leader Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking the money being spent on the policy,  $618 million over four years, would be better spent elsewhere.

"We'd be able to use some of that money for other things, we've got some big priorities there and I think there are other priorities I would have focussed on before this."

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