As I now have full time job and am 18 I'll have to pay for my prescriptions.
Can anyone tell me
- am I charged per item
- or per prescription
Is there any way I can get help with it or not ?
I have a job but it's not making a huge amount . Some times I think I'd be better off on benefits free dental health care free prescriptions 😒
Hi there
Unfortunately we are charged per item and not just per prescription 
It doesn't seem at all fair that some conditions (diabetes or underactive thyroid for example) will qualify a person for free prescriptions whereas other lifelong chronic conditions such as lupus do not. It might be better for you to buy a prepayment certificate (actually a card!) - it depends how many meds you use per month.
nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcos...
Have a look and see if it might work out cheaper - and write to your MP to complain at prescription charges for lupus!!!!
Hi LouLamb
How’s the driving going?
Prescription charges are per item, you can buy a prepayment certificate, not sure how much it costs per year and that would cover you for all items.
Good luck😀
There are two PPC options to choose from:
a three-month PPC – costs £29.10 and will save you money if you need more than three prescribed items in three months
a 12-month PPC – costs £104.00 and will save you money if you need more than 12 prescribed items in a year
Prescription charges are a scandal. As if being chronically ill isn't bad enough in itself, you get to be charged for trying to stay well.
There is a limited scheme for people on very low incomes. Here is a link to check if you qualify services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/chec...
Or you could move to Wales, where all prescriptions are free!
x
Never move to Wales for free prescriptions! Lupus care is appalling! We have no Centres of Excellence for Lupus and only one lupus nurse in North Wales. I'd rather pay for prescriptions and have better health care options. X
I pay 120 for a year pre pay prescription it's cost more than that this month due to Meds and I had an opp and have to have dressings changed eavery day best investment I've made you can also get 1 month 3 month 6 month and 12 month it's a no brainer hoe this hels
Come on Loulamb. Cheer up. Lots of good advice here. Go for the annual ppc. Definitely keep the job. I live in North Wales and Welsh! Wendy has a good point and we are working hard to get some sense in healthcare in Wales. Don’t let the smiles fade. Let’s pull together....no pushing!
Defo do the pre payment, saves me a fortune.
Although I live in Scotland and the prescriptions are free, when we used to pay for them, my GP gave me a form which he completed as well and we sent it to our central NHS prescribing/health authority and I was awarded free prescriptions because I had Lupus. I don't know if this is of any help to anyone, but might be worth a try.
I am glad I live in Scotland.
I am unable to work but all prescriptions are free and I was given my bus pass before retiral age.
I urge you all to push for free prescriptions. That's what your MP is for.
Yes you would be best to do the pre payment and pay £10 a month if u get more than 2 items a month as it's £8 something per item.
I am on over 12 meds a month so definitely worth it!! So my meds should cost me over £100 a month! But I pay £10 direct debit x
Yes pre paid cert at £104 a year is the one, you can pay it as £10.40 a month via direct debit for 10 months. I get about 6 or 7 items every 2 months as lupus effected heart so have heart medication also
Well if u are getting 5 or 6 items a month it will be cheaper to get the pre payment cert. so u will have to figure out what's cheapest for u x
Have u seen the actual cost of some drugs tho?? £8 for a prescription does not compare to some of the costs of the actual drug. E.g. Most inhalers are £40-60 each.
So I think we are lucky to have the option of a pre payment certificate.
I do however agree that most of us will be on drugs life long i.e. The blood thinners so shouldn't have to pay for these same as diabetic patients etc
I don't think it's lucky that I have the option to buy a pre payment certificate .
I didn't ask for lupus as none of you have . There are other people who can drink them selves silly and have health problems because of it that can get there drugs for free .
Yes and that isn't fair but I'm afraid that's how life is. The drugs have to be paid for somehow and I guess this is the fairest way, as it could be worse some drugs cost hundreds to thousands a month so that's why I say it's lucky we have the option of pre payments otherwise we could never afford to pay for our treatment.
I am a nurse who works with homeless people and drug and alcohol addicts and yes it's frustrating but that's just how life is. They sit and tell me how they can't work yet I drag myself to work 2 days a week to look after them when I can hardly walk some days and in constant pain and I feel like saying I work so u can do something at least!
I know what u are saying but I think £10 a month is nothing compared to what u could have to pay
£10 isn't nothing though for me . I can't afford that . So I won't be taking my medication anymore anyway now . I've already decided . I can barely afford to put money on the heating .
Hi LouLamb ,
If you are on a low income then you may well qualify for assistance with your medical costs such as prescription charges. You can find information about this on our website at lupusuk.org.uk/prescription...
Please try to find a way to continue taking your medication. If you are not taking your treatment then you may risk a lupus flare which could then affect your ability to work - that would cost you even more.
Lou
I'm really sorry to hear that you feel that way.
I think you need to think about how poorly you were before taking your Hydroxychloroquine. You must take your meds. It is crucial for Lupus to be treated appropriately in order to help prevent damage, or further damage, to our organs.
I know that a Teaching Assistant's wages are rubbish (I have worked as one) and that things must be tight for you. But your health must be a priority. You are so young.
I don't know what your outgoings are, your rent, food and bills, your car and phone etc etc. Could you sit down with your Mum and look at this together? Try to find the £10 per month?
I don't want to come across the wrong way, like I'm telling you what to do or nagging, but if you stop the Hydroxy and slip backwards, you could face damage to your health and lose your job and I think you will be financially even worse off if that happens, plus you'll be suffering.
Take a lot at these links that have been provided and chat to your Mum, please.
Wendy x
I budget all my money have since I started earning my apprenticeship wage last September . I'm now on a full time contract at the school , so it will be a little bit more money .
My expenses are now more money .
So I now have to pay
- rent
- council tax
- car insurance & petrol .
So any extra money I would have made is straight away gone . I am the only one that works in my house. So there is no way to jiggle any money .
I won't know how much I make until payday next Thursday and that will be short as they will take 8 days sick pay from that
Well fingers crossed that when you get paid it will cover the £10 for a pre-paid cert. Otherwise look into the links that have been provided for you and see if you can get a reduction or exemption for being on a low income. I am just really worried about you coming off meds and then being really ill. You must take care of yourself. x
I started a new drug in June and it's actually unlicensed. Mepacrine. I was told the capsules cost over £600 for one pack.
It's ridiculous
It is very costly because not many people are on it and at one point the company were going to stop making altogether. But there is an arrangement now where they still produce it but cost is high. If I added my mepacrine, 3G MMF every day, hydroxy, 2 antihistamines, sumatriptan, steroids, sun cream, inhaler, eye drops, steroids creams & moisturisers up, I dread to think how much I am costing them!!!! I would have to do pre payment certificate. X
Just to balance out the argument thyroid and diabetes prescription exemptions aren’t because it’s a long term illness. Insulin and thyroid hormones are natural hormones made by your body and essential to maintain life and that’s why they are free - it’s to replace something that your body can no longer produce rather than treating something that shouldn’t be there and that’s why they distinguish it. Without the hormones being replaced you will die basically - it’s why overactive thyroid isn’t exempt either.
I’m “lucky” enough to have an underative thyroid but if I didn’t the £10 per month prepayment route is a pretty good discount for those with long term conditions to be fair and I do get that the nhs don’t have a limitless budget so where do they draw the line on what is a qualifying long term condition and what isn’t? Just with lupus alone we all have various levels of disease activity requiring varying levels of medication so a blanket exemption to include someone who only needs one prescription a month would then be unfair for people with asthma for example who may well need two inhalers monthly and is also chronic and long term. To cover everyone would just be impossible financially unfortunately.
Just balancing the viewpoint 
Hi LouLamb,
The NHS Choices' website provides information on the cost of each item on a prescription as well as information on how to apply for a prescription prepayment certificate: nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcos...
Medication and gastroparesis
Change of medication 
Medication dedication...
Problems with getting Lupus medication 
question regarding medication refill 
