UK - free prescriptions

[moogle]

UK - free prescriptions for people with hypothyroid or just for the more serious parathyroid?

[Kel8]

Prescriptions are free once you are diagnosed hypothyroid as you need medication for life. My GP gave me a form to fill in for an exemption card.

[Clutter]

Moogle, I deleted my previous post which didn't answer your question.

Hypothyroidism (myxoedema as it's called on the form) means you will be exempt from prescription charges. You can get an exemption form from your pharmacist or GP practice. Complete the form and return it to your GP to be signed.

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1...

While you are waiting for the medical exemption card to be sent to you, ask your pharmacist for a refund form when you pay prescription charges and you will be able to reclaim the charges.

[Rebec]

To my knowledge, there is no medicine that one can take for problems of the parathyroid glands. The specialists recommend only an operation!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Rebec]

Specialists recommend operations for HYPERparathyroidism.

There are treatments based on medicines for HYPOparathyroidism.

Treatment

Severe hypocalcaemia, a potentially life-threatening condition, is treated as soon as possible with intravenous calcium (e.g. as calcium gluconate). Generally, a central venous catheter is recommended, as the calcium can irritate peripheral veins and cause phlebitis. In the event of a life-threatening attack of low calcium levels or tetany (prolonged muscle contractions), calcium is administered by intravenous (IV) infusion. Precautions are taken to prevent seizures or larynx spasms. The heart is monitored for abnormal rhythms until the person is stable. When the life-threatening attack has been controlled, treatment continues with medicine taken by mouth as often as four times a day.[citation needed]

Long-term treatment of hypoparathyroidism is with vitamin D analogs and calcium supplementation may be ineffective in some due to potential renal damage.[4] The N-terminal fragment of parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-34) has full biological activity. The use of pump delivery of synthetic PTH 1-34 provides the closest approach to physiologic PTH replacement therapy.[5] Injections of recombinant human parathyroid hormone are available as treatment in those with low blood calcium levels.[6]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypop...

Probably why Medex is available for hypoparathyroidism but not hyperparathyroidism.

[Hidden]

Moogle,

A free presciption exception certificate gives you free presciptions across the board so you get free meds whether thyroid related or not.

Flower

[helvella Administrator]

I don't understand for one minute where you get the idea that parathyroid disease is "more serious" than hypothyroidism.

People die from untreated hypothyroidism. (People also suffer severely from hypoparathyroidism.)

Medex is only applicable to England - not the whole UK.

I quote in full the public statement of eligibility:

People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions if they hold a valid medical exemption certificate.

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:

a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngos-tomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;

a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s Disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;

diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;

diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;

hypoparathyroidism;

myasthenia gravis;

myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement);

epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy;

a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person; or

cancer and are undergoing treatment for:

- cancer;

- the effects of cancer; or,

- the effects of cancer treatment.

You can only get a certificate if you have a condition on the list. If you are not sure about the name of your condition, check with your doctor. Doctors may advise you about free prescriptions. However, it is up to you to find out if you are entitled to an exemption certificate.

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1...

[bantam12 in reply to helvella]

People can die from parathyroid disease as well if parathyroid crisis occurs.

[helvella Administrator in reply to bantam12]

So an equally serious outcome to hypothyroidism - in the worst cases.

I was not for one moment suggesting that hypoparathyroidism doesn't have potentially very serious outcomes. But I still fail to recognise one as being fundamentally more serious than the other.

[moogle]

"diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;

hypoparathyroidism;

myasthenia gravis;"

The hypoPARAthyroidism confused me. Currently I am covered for free prescriptions due to another exception but I could move out of that group so useful to know I could easily swap to this reason instead.

[helvella Administrator in reply to moogle]

You have me confused!

Do you have hypothyroidism?

Do you have hypoparathyroidism?

By the way, if you click on reply at the end of someone's response, your response will get correctly threaded/indented and the person you are responding to would usually get an alert. Just adding a response in the box at the very end of a page doesn't thread.

[moogle in reply to helvella]

I was told an underactive thyroid .. hypothyroid and so far the lowest dose of 50 levothyroxine is keeping my blood result in the normal range.

[helvella Administrator in reply to moogle]

Right-ho! Has your GP given you a form to fill in?

Have a look here - they have a pictorial "What do do..."

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/D...

That is new (only created in September this year).

[moogle in reply to helvella]

No, because I already get free prescriptions. I'm just getting the info incase I need to act on it in the next 9 months (I'm 60 then and would be covered by age)

[RedApple Administrator in reply to moogle]

If you have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, then you are entitled to free prescriptions. So if your current situation changes, you just ask at your surgery for the medex application form to be signed by your doctor so that you can continue with free prescriptions.

[helvella Administrator in reply to moogle]

Unless your current Medex is due to expire in the next nine months, you should be OK. I don't know of a mechanism for withdrawing or cancelling a Medex on the grounds of change of diagnosis/condition.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to helvella]

I think the problem is that you have to make a declaration on the back of the prescription to say you are entitled. So if there is some reason why you're entitlement has ceased (e.g. withdrawal of diagnosis or change of financial status etc.) then you would technically be making a claim for something you're no longer entitled to. Whether or not anyone picks up on that during a relatively short period of a few months is anyone's guess though!