Prescription advice. What is the best (cheapest) way to get GF food on prescription? I was paying £10 monthly but I didn't use it enough.

[Tim2012]

I did have 10 things on my prescription and pharmacy wanted to charge 10 x £7 which isn't cost effective. Is there another way?

[Penel]

Would a prepayment certificate be any better?

[Tim2012 in reply to Penel]

Thanks. I was on that system for £110 per year but wasn't using it enough to warrant the spend. I was hoping there was another way.

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Tim,

From memory I think that they charge per line on the prescription. Please take the following info with caution because I am not absolutely certain of my facts (you would need to check it out for yourself, as it may also differ by area):

The reason I think this is because of my AdCal prescription. It was set up as a 60 day supply rather than 30, so that if I ever decided to come off a prepayment certificate I would be charged less.

My understanding is that if you ask for one item of 10 completely different prescription products you will get charged 10 times. However if you have a quantity of 10 of the same product you may only be charged once.

I guess thats okay if you can handle a lack of variety!

As I said above, I am not sure about the exact rules for foods, so do please talk to your local GP, CCG or maybe even PALS.

Good luck.

[Tim2012 in reply to Regalbirdy]

That sounds better. I live in an area where they have written to me saying I can't order rolls, buscuits, etc but I can stock up on spagetti and pasta over a few months. The supermarket packs are too small and I eat lots of this. I had heard this (multiple items only charged once) before but only from one other person and never found out more. I'll get onto the GP and will post the response I get. Thanks for responding.

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Tim,

I think what I said is true of many things on prescription but i know it certainly is not true of all.

I do know of several exceptions to the per line charging - elasticated stockings and spacer devices for inhalers being 2 examples (why this is I don't know!). It's also why I don't know about what the exact ruling is for GF prescriptions.

I am one of those people that has to order bread on prescription in batches of eight; so I can't see that it would make any sense for the NHS to try to charge per loaf rather than per bread order (it would defeat the object of it being on prescription in the first place), so I would hope that same is true of pasta.

I would definitely be interested to hear how you get on though.

[Tim2012 in reply to Regalbirdy]

First they go after my rolls. And now my stockings too!!!! Lol

[Regalbirdy in reply to Tim2012]

And you looked so fetching in those stockings too....

[tmoxon]

Hi Tim Before I was diagnosed with CD I used to get a 3 month prepayment subscription, I definitely used to get this if I have been to the doctors and needed one or more things on prescription, at the same time I would order other prescriptions I would need throughout the year and order them again every month whilst I had the 3 month prepayment certificate. You can then build up a stock for when you need them etc.. It may be you only need to do this a couple of times a year if you don't need much which would be a saving for you. I now get my bread/flour ect every month so its worth it for me to have the yearly prepayment plan. Hope this is helpful