Prescription exemption

[success]

Interested to know how many warfarin users are currently paying for prescriptions? Two members of family are on llife long anticoagulants for chronic clotting disorder - working and not eligible for free scripts.

Check out the epetition which is raising awareness of the inequalities of non eligibility for people who need anticoagulant therapy to prevent clotting for a range of medical conditions - aims to include oral anticoags to be exempt from charges.

Https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29914

[Hidden]

Hi success, this is a good question, have you submitted this as a poll?

[armitaged]

This is an excellent idea and deserves more signatories than it currently has collected. I have sent out the following email to my contacts and hope that it will result is additional support. Just an idea, as they say!

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Https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29914

Hi

I have now been on Warfarin for thirty years and spent most of them paying for the benefit of staying alive, which I always thought was slightly against the principle of the NHS but was nevertheless a worthwhile investment!

If you would support this petition it would be greatly appreciated and your own family might benefit in the future.

Thanks for reading this.

Best wishes

Doug

[Lynneiow]

I am on Warfarin for life, and feel very angry that I have to pay for prescriptions. I survive on a small pension and incapacity benefit ( l have other health problems apart from DVT), so prescription charges make a big hole in my income. I have friends who have thyroid problems and get free medication, not just for their thyroid medication but every other prescription they may need is free too. Are the authorities saying that their lives are worth more than mine? Thats how it seems to me, after all Warfarin is keeping me alive, so it is not a matter of choice! I have been on it since 2006 and I am 57 years old.

[success in reply to Lynneiow]

I empathise with you and agree that it does seem unfair that patients who need anticoagulation therapy are discriminated against in this way. I, too, have family members who have thyroid problems, working and get meds free. With the rise in Diabetis type 2 which seems to relate to lifestyle and the rise in obesity in the uk, are these patients going to be exempt from charges?. Patient on a/c therapy take it to avoid further health issues. Please do sign the petition

[andrewbowley in reply to Lynneiow]

Then you would be exempt from paying

[Tipper]

I have been on warfarin and other life saving drugs since I was 55 and initially paid in full for my prescriptions. I then discovered I could get a 'season ticket', a pre-paid certificate for about £100 per year. This saved me a lot of money as each prescription every 2 months was costing me about £50! You can actually get 3 monthly certificates (cheaper) and space them through the year ensuring you maximise the number of prescriptions in any 3 month period then wait a couple of months before getting the next, takes a bit of thinking through though!

I've recently turned 60 so they're free now... but I don't get my bus pass til I'm 63 unlike my slightly older brother who has one already!

[pucc1n1]

I have been told to take Warfarin for life, due to major clots on the lungs (PEs). I have to pay for prescriptions and also get them dosed in small lots as my INR is not stable, so costs me a great deal per month. It really depends on how much the GP will allow me to have per prescription. I notice from the internet that Warfarin is not that expensive, so if in small doses, it is not worth the prescription price of 7.65. I do agree that life long Warfarin should not be paid for on prescription.