Prescription costs

[abannister]

How much does it cost to have RA in England?

if it were not for the free prescriptions in Scotland i could not afford to be sick.

[helixhelix]

£104 a year is the simple answer for a year's prescription card, but I think the biggest cost for all of us wherever we are is the time to-ing and fro-ing to medical appointments, the impact on earnings, and the horribly high cost of ugly shoes... Pollyx

[abannister in reply to helixhelix]

i have never worked out how many miles extra i do now, should be easy to do. What shoes? never been told to get ugly shoes lol

[abannister in reply to abannister]

so far i have done an extra 466 miles

[helixhelix in reply to abannister]

so you're still wearing your sparkly high heels? Or whatever male equivalent is.... Px

[abannister in reply to helixhelix]

Ruby slippers

[sylvi]

I have a pre-paid prescription card. Without that i would be broke. I added up the other year how much i had saved and it turned out to be between £500-£700. It is not to be sniffed at.

Sylvi. xx

[lifebeginstoday in reply to sylvi]

Yeh Sylvi! So true I know.

We can moan bout the NHS but we have got it good in UK as we see our specialist group of Rheumy pros for FREE! Now that would b crazy money anywhere else.

J x

[earthwitch]

I'm not sure you can just compare costs on the basis of prescription costs. I know where I live (rural scotland) I would spend an awful lot more money on travel to get to appointments, and have had to stay overnight for them as well (if I don't make the last transport of the day). Also if I want to have a physio appointment, then I end up having to take a whole day off work. Add all that to the fact that I can have to wait months for a specialist appointment or a change of meds, which means that I am functioning below par for a lot longer than if I could get to a clinic or doctor quicker, and the costs start mounting up.

It really is just swings and roundabouts though. I wouldn't move from here.

[Hidden]

It's costing me about £28,000 a year as I can't work just now & am not eligible for benefits. (I don't want to work at the moment, so no crocodile tears, but I can't go on like this for ever.)

[Shell1967]

Feather can you not apply for dla.just trying to help love Michelle xx

[Treesha]

I also have a pre paid card which helps enormously. If i ever have time off sick ( not yet thank god) i wouldnt get paid! Xxxx

[magglen]

I believe my Etanercept injection is around £100 and I take it once a week

[2169]

Can't believe you're all paying for prescriptions! If you go to your docs reception and ask for a medical execemption form and fill it in then get your doc to sign it and send it off you'll get a card that gives you free prescriptions. Theres different reasons on the form to say why you think that you need it and one of them is something like, you need help to do day to day activities, which I do and I'm sure there's alot of you others out there who do also.

[helixhelix in reply to 2169]

RA isn't one of the conditions that makes you automatically eligible for medical exemption, so it's only if you need help with day to day activities. And I was told that it isn't enough just to have odd bits of help from friends and family, but must be seriously physically disabled? So in some ways I think I'm grateful that I have to pay! Pollyx

[2169 in reply to helixhelix]

Well my doctor signed it willingly, I've been registered 40% disabled, don't know about the rest of you? You said 'you've been told that it isn't enough to have just odd bits of help' who told you that your doctor? I'm very grateful that I don't have to pay, it saves me a fortune, plus there's no harm in anyone going to their doctor's to ask they can only say no!

[helixhelix in reply to 2169]

Yes, when I first asked as was rather alarmed by all the prescriptions. But I'm fairly able now, thanks to the drugs, so don't think it likely that any doc would sign. Daft system isn't it! Px

[Beth58]

I worked out my prescription cost is £114 a month so the £104 for a yearly card is a small price to pay.

Beth x

[RichC]

Full details here :

nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcos... also with links to pre payment.

and a consortium of 20 organisations including the NRAS are asking people to complete a survey on prescriptions

surveymonkey.com/s/Prescrip...

Rich C

[Hidden]

I purchased a prepayment certificate, as a woman who will be 60 next year will I be able to get the free ones then or has the goal posts moved along with retired pension to 65, anyone have any information on this?

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Still says 60, but who knows what will have changed by the end of the year!

[tiger]

Although the health system here in France is not free and we have to pay approx 120 euros per month for our top up health insurance, Rheumatoid Arthritis is considered to be an illness which warrants 100% cover. I therefore don't have to pay anything for drugs, consultations, radiology or in fact for anything at all to do with my illness. This even includes the cost of a taxi to take me to the hospital (90 minutes drive, there and back) if my OH is not available to take me - the 'medical' taxi would cost in the region of 250 euros if I had to pay.

[pottypam]

I luckily get free prescriptions on two counts , medical due having under active thyroid and as I am benefits .And as they seem to adding more drugs , lotions and inhalers to my RA and AS load of anti inflam and morphine.I have now 15 items at nearly £8.00 per item so £120. That not including the Toximmiib(?) that not started yet . I really think for RA and other chronic illnesses it should be free and do not understand why they are not as if you are working it must make a terrible dent in your income .Hope your pain not too bad today ,xx

[RuthCymru]

we have free prescriptions in Wales as well - but as in some places in Scotland, I sometimes have to travel quite far for some appointments, x

[SarahKate-NRAS]

Hi all

There is quite a lot of good information on getting help with healthcare costs, including prescriptions, on the NHS Choices website as RichC has already pointed out: nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcos...

There is also some useful info on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website including details of medical exemption. Unfortunately RA is not one of the conditions for which medical exemption automatically applies. I believe the criteria that lydiabarlow may have been referring to was, "a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person." So if this sounds like it applies to you it may be worth investigating further to find out if you could qualify for medical exemption.

NHSBSA website: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HelpWithHealt...

Kind regards

Sarah Kate

NRAS

[Hidden]

It does seem extraordinary to me that a person can have medical exemption on the grounds of Hypothyroidism (me included) but not on the grounds of having a disease as serious as RA? I am so glad to be living in Scotland sometimes.

[SusanP]

Time our government looked at what qualifies for free prescriptions.

I have RA...endless different drugs to try, many have failed , so the money and drugs went down the toilet. I could not believe RA was not an except condition.

My friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer , had surgery which has left her at home unable to drive or get out and needing a 6 weeks course of radiother..and drugs to help too...still has to pay......

I average 2 appoints per week. These take me out of work and a good 2 hr round trip on a good day. I bought a pre-payment certificate, it runs out this Dec and not sure if that has gone up from the £100 ish cost last year.

If you have an under/over active thyroid ALL medicines prescribed are free, not just the thyroxine...does not make any sence to me ...what is the difference? Definately the pain...under/overactive thyroid is not painful, not dibilitating or in need 2 x week checks to monitor the drugs affect on the body and the if relief is being gained by the RA patient.......dont get me wrong good luck to all that are exempt.......