Prescription charges petition

[Wheezy_1]

Want free medication?

Sign this

petition.parliament.uk/peti...

[O-T-]

I think this could become a popular post, thanks.

[O-T- in reply to O-T-]

I mean, it's a good idea, indeed for any chronic condition, but certainly for asthma, which oughtn't to involve sufferers in any kind of quandary when it comes time to request a prescription, especially as the condition can vary so unpredictably and make management an occasional, an often pressing struggle. I would support a review of prescription charges for all such chronic conditions to see if the current medical knowledge requires an ongoing and indefinite and varied treatment plan. I wonder if such projected needs assessments are already going on?

[Steven9818]

And where exactly will the money come from to pay for this?

[O-T- in reply to Steven9818]

ordinance profits

[Hay133]

Free prescriptions would be great but just wondered if youd got the nhs card its 10pound a month or 30 pound for three months gives you unlimited prescriptions

[angievere in reply to Hay133]

I've had prepayment certificate for many years. It saves a small fortune. Agree that it's terribly unfair we have to pay for prescriptions but asthma is such a variable condition that I don't think the Health department will budge on this.

[Hay133]

I really understand i have vcd and wouldve paid out 100 in a week its really bad that working people have to pay we already pay tax

[Hidden]

Wheezy,

I know it seems very unfair that we have to pay for medication to help control a condition that is a known killer, but the reality is that there is no way the NHS could afford it. There are 5 million asthmatics in the U.K. Giving us all payment exemption certificates would probably bankrupt an already cash strapped NHS. Such certificates don't just cover medication for the primary chronic condition (in our case asthma) they cover all medication required for all illnesses whether asthma related or not.

As others have said there are pre-payment certificates which can help to alleviate the cost.

[ChrissieMons]

Asthma UK has asked for this for years. The politicians' response is that there are so many exemptions ( under 16, retired, on benefits, other medical condition etc., etc.,) that only a small number of people pay for prescriptions so it's fine as it is. My argument is this - if it is only a small number of people, it won't cost much to let them have their medication for free!

Good luck with this petition.

[Hidden in reply to ChrissieMons]

The problem, ChrissieMon, is that it wouldn't just be asthma medication that becomes free with exemption certificates, it's all medication: antibiotics, PPIs etc, all become free as well as inhalers etc. That would result in quite a hike to the cost of asthma to the NHS (currently around 1 billion pounds a year). There are already reports of asthmatics being placed on cheaper generic versions (seretide to sirdupla, for example) not always successfully - a sign that the system is already under severe strain.

I don't like paying for my asthma medication any more than you do, but the fact is that asthma is a very varied condition ranging from those who are on xolair or a daily dose of oral steroids, to those who only have a ventolin inhaler. Add to that the fact that the condition can improve to the point of non existence, or worsen until the sufferer needs repeated hospital admissions, and you can understand why there is some reluctance to allow all 5 million UK sufferers exemption certificates. I don't like the decision, but I can understand why.

[O-T- in reply to Hidden]

I think the government would really dig the idea, that is if it's true that the tories want to make the nhs look really feeble to add weight to arguments for privatisation, or even as some imagine, the opposition wanting it to look really feeble to add weight to the socialist argument.

[Steven9818]

Inhaler costs in the UK are roughly £1 billion per year. What services the NHS should cut so that inhalers can be free of charge.

[O-T-]

on reflection, perhaps the charges ought to be increased a tiny bit?

[hb1977]

Hi, The NHS does not have a bottomless pit of money to fund every aspect of healthcare. I agree that it does seem unfair that some chronic conditions are covered and some are not and that prescription items unrelated to a chronic condition are also exempt. However, the cost to the NHS for my daily asthma medications are over £100/month. This excludes any additional items such as Prednisolone, antibiotics or anything else prescribed when things worsen.

For this I have a pre-payment certificate that costs me £104/year which I pay by monthly direct debit. I consider this extremely good value, it has saved me an absolute fortune!

For those struggling to pay for prescriptions I thoroughly recommend getting one.

[Hidden in reply to hb1977]

I've considered the 'unrelated medication to a chronic condition' being included on exemption certificates many times. The seemingly easy solution would be to have exemption certificates covering only medication needed to treat the primary chronic condition (in our case - asthma). However, that becomes more complex when side effects to medications are considered. So do you include those on the exemption certificate as they have been brought about by the drugs needed to treat the primary condition, or not? It's not as easy as it might at first seem.

[hb1977 in reply to Hidden]

No it isn't easy at all and that is one of the issues with exemption certificates; they cover everything regardless of the original diagnosis.

The main focus of my post was to point out the savings associated with a PPC especially for asthmatic patients who regularly require multiple items.

[Hidden in reply to hb1977]

Oh it does indeed. The actual cost of an inhaler is many times what we actually pay for it. I know it seems unfair, but there is no way the NHS could afford exemption certificates for all those who are currently diagnosed with asthma.

[kahz1969]

I live in Scotland and we already have free prescriptions for everything and everyone, all 5 million of us, which matches the number of Asthmatics in the UK. I never gave this much thought, but in the last 4 years I've been diagnosed with 2 separate chronic conditions both of which require daily medication, which would prove very costly. So now I am so grateful that the NHS in Scotland is a devolved issue and that the SNP Government think its important to allocated money accordingly to fund this policy. It's not perfect, the NHS here has issues as well and it's highly likely that a change in Gov could mean the loss of free prescriptions, but for now I'm thankful. It's sad that the waste monsters of Londonium, regardless of who's in power have taken to using NHS England as a political tool to beat each other up with. Each successive Government wants to be the one to `reform` the NHS and make it work better and more efficiently but it's all a load of bull, they just want to try and make a name for themselves. If things carry on this way it will be privatised right under everyone's nose and it will have happened before we even realise. I do think that it desperately needs reform and there has to be serious conversations about what it is there for and how it is funded but personally I don't think it should be up any Government Heath Secretary.

[Hidden in reply to kahz1969]

Having just checked I get the impression that of those 5 million in Scotland approx 368,000 individuals are being treated for asthma. (Asthma.org.uk)

[Wheezy_1]

Very interesting points of view, keep 'em coming. By the way, did anyone sign it?!

I didn't start it up and haven't signed it yet. I do think there is an imbalance in what gets funded and what doesn't.

[kahz1969 in reply to Wheezy_1]

Yes I signed it and shared on Facebook. It doesn't have much signatures, just over 200, so it needs support.