Just ordered and collected my first prescription for warfarin through my GP. I will need warfarin forever with my mechanical valve. Does everyone in my circumstances need to pay this NHS contribution every month? I'm curious. Last week I needed blood thinning injections which the abticoagulation clinic ordered and I collected from the hospital pharmacy. There was no charge for these.
Paying 9.65 for warfarin every month - British Heart Fou...
Paying 9.65 for warfarin every month
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Pefki
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I’ve been on warfarin and yes I had to pay. I’m currently taking 10 different medications a day and that will be for life. I’ve got an NHS pre payment certificate so, depending on how many medications you take per month, it may work out cheaper. If you google nhs prepayment certificate there will be info on it.
in reply to EU95PTM
Yes it saves a lot of money doesn't it by paying for the year, I think its about £111 now. I've had one for years. You can just forget about it and not worry about more medication being added on. I'm sure it's nearly a tenner for 1 script now 😮
I was paying between £40-£50 a month at one point before I found out about the PPC (prepayment prescription certificate) recently. Wish I knew about it sooner. Would’ve saved me quite a bit over the last year and a half. Glad I’ve got one now!
It's bad that your surgery or pharmacy didn't tell you about it.
Yes, not the best.
Hi,
Unfortunately, paying for Warfarin scripts is the norm until you hit 60.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean having to ask for them monthly, in my experience coming up 10years. I explained to my GP that I had to pay, so they upped the amount to 1,000mg per script covering 5months or so (combi of 1, 3, 5s). Its still the same now.
I'd suggest speaking with your GP and ask the same.
Heed
Anon2023 in reply to
hi. That’s lucky that your gp will do that. Mine only prescribes warfarin monthly but will give me other stuff in larger quantities. I now get my prescriptions free as I have hypothyroidism, every cloud and all that.. hope you are keeping well. It’s very cold up north today.
in reply to Anon2023
It's cold alright, we went for a drive to South Shields, it was bitter on the beach, so didn't stop long.
Last few months have been a bit troublesome even by my standards, will pm you rather than going into it on here.
Pefki in reply to
That was my thought aswell. A word with the GP. At only 26 and because if a congenital condition that required me to replace the aortic valve, the idea of paying 10 pound ever month for 24 years is a bit of a pain
needlewoman22 in reply to
The general trend now is, though that a prescription will only be for one month-the surgery gets paid for each one, so if a script is for two, three months, they only get paid once, hence the change to monthly only repeats, so they get paid each time. That's what I was recently told.
hi I have the prepaid prescription as per link below and pay it about £10 a month (no more than paying in one go). Covered my costs within about 3 months as I have 4 items a month sometimes 5.
So as you’re having only one item regularly (but it covers any med prescribed) you’ll save about £4ish but still worth it.
Think hospital issued meds are always free I believe / I’m my experience.
expensive business having health issues 🥹
I think it's absolutely shocking that you have to pay for anything that is prescribed to keep you alive, char
When I had to take some meds for several months, my GP asked if I had one when she wrote the prescriptions.
I’m not sure about warfarin tbh. My husband has PA/fib. Doesn’t get it all the time but it can be a really unpleasant experience when he goes into a/fib. The doctor advised him that he needs to be on anticoagulants now for the rest of his life. A/fib whatever type it is has the ability to make clots in his heart because the blood pools in the vessels and thus can be passed through into his brain causing a stroke. I think it’s the same kind of thing that happens in leaky heart valves and a mechanical valve which relieves lots of unpleasant symptoms can’t always stop the risk of clots forming around the replacement valve. I think that’s why doctors recommend anticoagulants to be taken. I would advise you to speak with your medics about long term use of warfarin. Maybe they could transfer you onto one of the newer types which don’t need as many blood checks or limit your intake of certain Vit K vegetables. I do think you should have been counselled as to the benefits and side effects of these medications. All drugs carry some degree of risk but anticoagulants do have quite bad side effects as well as some really beneficial effects. Please remember not everyone on anticoagulants get side effects. You just need to be careful but unless your doctors explain everything properly you can’t make an informed choice. Good luck I’m sure you will feel happier once you have chat with your doctor
I have taken issue with the fact nothing was explained about interaction between Apixaban and Drondarone the drug I have been changed to, it increases the effect of Apixaban! I am already a ‘bleeder’! I phone my GP, who more or less says you have to Maye a choice between the drugs I’m on that are causing me problems or the unquantifiable new one! They all have side effects 🤷🏼♀️
MilkfairyHeart Star
There is no equity.If you have certain illnesses such as thyroid problems, diabetes, cancer, epilepsy etc you are entitled to free prescriptions.
Heart patients aren't covered.
Thank goodness for the prepayment certificate.
I have 10 items on my repeat prescription.
My oxygen is free.
Even some cancers you still have to pay for maintenance meds. The mum of someone I worked with was treated for breast cancer & had to take a maintenance med for 5 years (sorry I don't remember the name of it) and she had to not only pay for this but also for any other meds she was prescribed!
Thank goodness I have epilepsy as well as cardiac meds 🤣In all seriousness tho ... prescriptions are free of charge in Wales
You seem very abrasive!! I'm not defending anything just replying to mikfairys comment that you get free prescriptions if you have cancer!
Hey, it's midnight, I'm really not interested into getting into a debate purely because I replied to a comment! Time for a good night's sleep. Good night!
MilkfairyHeart Star
If you are going to die if you don't have access to your medication should perhaps be the deciding criteria?
I don't actually mind paying for my prepayment certificate.
However the system isn't fair or equitable.
MilkfairyHeart Star
Both, as well quality of life.Preventing hospital admissions and other treatments.
Maintaing good mental and physical well being.
This could reduce the costs to the NHS in the long run.
It's about mortality as well as morbidity.
Health is complex.
MilkfairyHeart Star
Actually it would probably save money for the NHS by reducing admissions, by people actually taking the medication they are prescribed and improving their mental and physical health.
For more information you might be interested in Prof Michael Marmot's research into health inequalities.
Your payment card for prescription is issued using your NHs number this is linked to your doctor’s records as is everything else that links to your medical history.
Good morning here in Wales our prescriptions are free,perhaps you should blame the English government.While out walking my daughter's dog I speak to a lot of elderly English people and I always ask them why come to Wales this late in life,and they all tell me cheaper housing and free prescriptions.In fact where I walk the dog I see more English than Welsh.
Jetcat in reply to
Iv worked in a few places in wales in the past. I’d move there tomorrow it’s lovely.
they don’t make life easy - just a little information wouldn’t hurt. I’ve been physically going to the surgery every month to get my sick note then I found by accident two months ago I can download off nhs app myself at home🤨 the receptionist would say come and collect it automatically. Or maybe I’m the only plonker. 🤪
Jetcat in reply to
your not the plonker fishface. It’s them who are the plonkers for not letting you know.!! Nobody gives a :::! Anymore.? Or should I say some folk don’t anyway.!!
in defence of medical professionals i feel it's important to say that neither you nor they are plonkers - they are working under pressure and struggle to keep up with medical updates and thousands of different conditions, treatment, drugs and protocols - with the best will in the world they can't know everything .... and nether can we! a good pharmacist used to be more likely to pick up on issues like pre-payment certificates, but they are also under increasing pressure - but it is possible for us to ask, google and generally get informed - we all need to play our part in looking after ourselves🌺
we’re all under pressure.! I’m under pressure where I work but I know how to inform my clients about things.! If you can’t do the job properly then find another. Simples.
unfortunately GPs are leaving in droves because of the pressure, which adds pressure for those who are left
it's not simples at all!
I know. I’m one of those who are left but still know my job and haven’t forgot anything because someone’s left.!!!
For all my pills the doc prescribes 3 months worth so that's 4 payments of 18 rather than 12
in reply to luvin_life
that is lucky 👍
in reply to luvin_life
that’s actually very clever that’s just £72 (18 x 4) instead of prepayment of £111. Just worked it out. Wouldn’t work for me but would for lots if GP agrees. Great tip👍
It's free for all in Scotland !
And Wales, and we in England are subsidising them through the Barnett Formula etc. while paying for our meds here. At the risk of sounding like a teenager, it's not fair.
And in Northern Ireland!
Then they should think about it. It isn't much to expect them to know and remember and it means a lot to some people.
I seem to have stirred alot of sentiment in my post yesterday. I only take warfarin(and some iron tablets since surgery which I was told to get without a prescription and only now figured out why, because they are cheap) so the prepaid prescription plan is not really worth it. My GP is on the university campus where I study and I have been happy with them since registering in 2015. I have a phone appointment with them this week and will certainly discuss my need to have bigger amounts prescribed seeing as this is not a course of antibiotics or a cream for a rash. I do think it is a little unfair, as has been mentioned here, this is life or death, I was born with a bicuspid valve and severe aortic stenosis, surgery was life saving and now maintaining a safe INR with warfarin, is life saving, I think a consideration of atleast some sort of subsidy on this particular medication under the circumstances, would be fair.
As a student, I suspect that you are on a low income. If this is so, apply for an HC2 certificate which would entitle you to free prescriptions. Do this by downloading form HC1, complete it and post it off. You've nothing to lose.
I also thought that dental check ups for those with mechanical valves should be free given that we are at risk of endocarditis through dental problems. I know that not everything can be free but the cost of dental treatment can be prohibitive for some although it’s massively important to those with mechanical valves.
Ask your doctor to prescribe more than a month at a time, then I believe you can get a form to pay yearly or 6 monthly which makes it cheaper.
Yes I paid for all my medications up until the age of 60
Buy a NHS Pre Paymnt I set one of these up as it saved me £100,s per year you can do a 3 monthly or a yearly one.
Hope this helps 😊
Why don't you buy a12 month prescription certificate, it will also cover any other medication you might need too, .
I certainly wouldn’t mind paying a little extra tax etc for a free prescription service for all. God only knows where our tax and NI is going but it doesn’t seem to be going where it’s needed.!!!
hiya, If you re only on 1 medication, it isn't worth getting a pre payment. You should be able to get 2 month supply of medication from your GP each time, though this is difficult to calculate with warfarin as your dose may change periodically, especially when first prescribed, unless very stable.
If on 2 or x meds its worth considering a pre pay if your doctor will prescribe 2 months supply each time. Sometimes a 3 monthly works out cheaper as you can get 4 months supply of meds at 31.25 ordered 2 months apart. Then just re purchase when you need next script in 4 months. 3 x pre pay a year works out at cheaper than the annual pre pay. Depends of course how much warfarin the GP will prescribe on 1 x script. Also if there a dose change you may require a different strength of Warfarin tablet at some stage. Have you a selection of doses 1mg, 3mg, 5mg?
Also you can purchase a pre - payment and claim your last payment back but speak to pharmacist first, they are usually very helpful and will advise you accordingly.
I hope this helps.
Yes, a mix of 5mg, 3mg and 1mg seems to be the 'normal' prescription based on what I was given leaving hospital and this first repeat prescription. This is all new and my dosage is still settling. At the moment 7 and 6 alternating. My best bet is appealing to my GP to doubling my subscription. As it is, I am hoping to be away for most of summer to work from Europe so I have a valid reason to take a stock of meds.Thanks for all the advice.
Because being given more information and help is kind……..🤔
I’m over 60 so my warfarin is free at the moment. They were talking about scrapping that.
That's the issue! Some things shouldn't be free -in MY opinion-breast implants for one, drug rehabilitation treatment, stopping smoking, all these are 'free' but they are paid for in our nat. ins contributions. Things that keep us alive, and treat us to make us well are a different matter-this is why the NHS is in such a mess.
I know I hold extreme views in some people's eyes, , but it cannot be a free for all in every aspect!
In Scotland prescriptions are free for everyone of all ages, they don't take it off our doctors or nurses. Char
In Scotland our prescriptions are free for everyone, as well as free travel on the bus and cheap train travel. They are about the only good things the Scottish government have given us and I am grateful for it. char
Another option is to price the cost of Warfarin privately.
1/ Years ago the pharmacist would sell it to me privately, on an NHS prescription, if that worked out cheaper for me.
2/ When I worked abroad and had private health cover I had to buy my Warfarin in Britain. I bought it in tubs of 500 tablets. Ten years ago it was around 10 pounds per tub. It might be worth finding this and getting a private prescription.
Yes I had to pay it before turning 60. Your warfarin is every bit as vital to keep you alive as insulin is to a diabetic, yet diabetics receive their medication free of charge and warfarin users don't. Even more unfair is the fact that a type II diabetic insulin user has the opportunity to reverse their diabetes and come off medication, but you obviously can't reverse your mechanical valve. This could be solved very easily by the government looking at the problem and supplying a bit more money so that people who are on medication for life receive their prescription free of charge. But asking the government for more money at the moment is a bit like asking the devil to be nice to everyone.
yes the system is crazy. I pay £10.65 monthly. If you are diabetic you get it free. I have heart failure etc and have to pay.
If you get more than @115 per year in prescription you need to buy the annual subscription online. Can save a fortune
See nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescri... to see if you fit any of the categories.
I have a Pre-pay prescription certificate, as I have 8 medication each month. It’s worth paying for a whole year, it even covers any other medication, like Antibiotics if you need to see your doctor on other matters.
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