Prescription Charges

According to the BBC Website, prescription charges in England are going up in April by 20p per item.

I for one am disappointed by this as i am on stage four management and pay for them.

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That's ok, buy a ""season ticket"" before they go up. Bargain at £28.25 for 3 months or £104 for 12. That covers ALL your scripts during that period. If you get a 3-month one & get a new script from your gp just before it runs out, you can make it last 4 months

polly

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solitaire!! where have u been!! u defo need to get a pre paid prescription certificate. by paying direct debit for such, i only pay £10.40 a month for 10 months, which is great as i am BTS stage 5 now, and am on 10 meds.... defo worth more than its weight in gold

x x

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As the others say, pre-paid certificate. Only way to go. That's what I've had over the last few years since they came in. Peace of mind.

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I have a pre payment but it does get to me that my hubby and 2 sons get theirs free

and everything free for epilepsy and i have to pay for meds keeping me alive ggrrr!!!!!!

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there are people in government and other people fighting to get asthmatics prescriptions free as well, like the epileptics and diabetics and cancer patients do...

not sure how the fight is going and who is winning ??

x x

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I think it's because those medical conditions which are on the exempt list all share one feature, ie going without drugs for just a few days would actually be fatal, rather than just make you ill. Although that probably applies to a lot of people on this site, especially brittles, it isn't true of most asthmatics as the majority only have mild asthma.

I don't know if everyone knows this but there are two exemptions which could cover some asthmatics, ie -

hypoadrenalism - if you've had a lot of steroid treatment & your adrenal glands have ceased functioning as a result (as have mine & probably many others of you) then, because a lack of cortisol is rapidly fatal, you're entitled to an exemption certificate, which then covers all your drugs

permanent physical disability - if your asthma is so bad that you cannot go out without someone else going with you, then again you can apply for exemption

As glynis and others will know, you have to complete a form at your surgery which your gp signs and sends off, then the card arrives about a week later

polly x

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Thanks for the responses guys.

To those mentioning the pre pay card, i have not been on stage four for very long and haven't required one up until recently.

I still find any increase disappointing though, it's nice to know the fight is still being fought.

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I'm going to state something here, You're all very lucky that you have such a thing. I'm in Ireland, and only for the fact I'm in a low income family, I don't pay full price for my medication. We don't have pre-payment certs or the NHS. We pay the full £30 odd quid for a seretide inhaler. It annoys me when people moan about the NHS because they don't realise just how lucky they are. Ok, the NHS has it's faults, but paying 7.20 for a prescription is a damned good compromise when you think about how much the full item costs.

<End Rant>

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I pay for a 3 month pre-payment certificate about 28 pound for Ten items a month.And now paying yearly about ten pound a month for ten months direct debit and Wish it was free but atleast a big saving this way.x edit - so ten pound a month for ten items = l pound for each item and 2 months free as only pay 10 months direct debit

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Know what you mean elephant2001, definately lucky in the UK in comparison. The closest in Ireland to a PPC is the Drugs Payment Scheme where you pay maximum of €120 per family (spouse/partner and children under 18 years or under 23 if in full-time education) plus pay for GP/A&E visits. The longterm illness scheme only covers for that named condition too-asthma/IBD not covered as in UK neither are thyroid but cystic fibrosis/MS/spina bifida are?!

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I think most of us massively appreciate the nhs. It's not perfect, but I've had cause to be grateful for it more times than I can say, and the treatment I get from both my gp and rbh is first-class. Not everyone is as lucky tho! Also, it's not free, we do pay for it in our taxes and nat ins.

I never minded paying for prescriptions, before I was exempt, especially with the great-value prepay system. You only have to need 4/5 drugs every 3 months to make it worthwhile getting the quarterly one. But I think the income limits are stingy. £7.20 is a lot to a student for example.

x

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elephant2001, don't you live in Co. Down i.e. Northern Ireland with free prescriptions then?

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Nah, Co. Down is where I grew up, I live in Monaghan in the ROI now. Where as close as it is to the border (I can be in the north in 15mins), Is not classed as in GB.

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Nah, Co. Down is where I grew up, I live in Monaghan in the ROI now. Where as close as it is to the border (I can be in the north in 15mins), Is not classed as in GB.