Prescription charges are likely to be cheaper from April after new regulations are agreed by Scottish ministers.
The regulations, likely to be passed by the Scottish Parliament, mean that single prescription items will cost £3 - a drop from £4.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said the move will be "great news for patients". She said: "Not only will it bring us nearer to removing a tax on ill health that people needing medicines shouldn't have to face, it's in line with the founding principle of the NHS that it should be free at the point of delivery."
The Scottish Government said in 2007 it will abolish prescription charges, and aims to complete the process by April next year. Patients in England pay £7.20 for prescriptions.
Ms Robison said: "We strongly believe that this fully budgeted policy is the right thing to do for the patients of Scotland. And by leaving more money in people's pockets, it's an example of how the health service is playing its part in Scotland's economic recovery."
The Government has projected that the cost of the latest reduction will be less than the £24million budgeted for it for this year.
Pre-payment certificates will also be cheaper. These allow people who need medicine over a longer period of time to pay a set amount in advance, saving them money.
From April a four-month pre-payment certificate will cost £10, reduced from £13, and a 12-month one will cost £28, down from £38.
In the first six months of 2009, the number of prescription items paid for by the certificates (2.6million) exceeded the number of prescription items paid for individually (2.5million) for the first time.
On this, Ms Robison said: "This shows that the greatest benefit of the policy is to people with long-term conditions who shouldn't face ongoing financial penalties just because they're living with illness."
The Tories criticised the price reduction. Party health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said: "Scottish Conservatives are clear on this issue: giving free prescriptions to those people who can well afford to pay for them is politically irresponsible and a drain on public resources at this time of huge financial challenges in the NHS.
"The young, the elderly, the frail, those on benefits and those with long-term conditions are all already exempt. Using £40 million of Scotland's health budget to extend free prescriptions means it cannot be spent elsewhere."
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said amid the recession the "priority should not be to extend reduced or free prescriptions to all".
He said: "The Liberal Democrats' priority is to ensure that those with long-term conditions get their prescriptions for free but the taxpayer should not pay for those who can afford to pay for their prescriptions themselves."
