stopping levothyroxine-do I lose my free nhs prescription?

[M33R4]

Being hypothyroid, I get free NHS prescriptions. Would stopping my levothyroxine prescription take away my exemption from prescription charges?

Thanks

[cjrsquared]

What would you be taking instead? It is the diagnosis of hypothyroidism that qualifies you for free prescriptions not the actual prescription.

[Jazzw]

I’ll doubtless cop some flack for saying this, but meh... Levo costs pennies.

I’d carry on collecting my monthly levothyroxine prescriptions (assuming you’re still prescribed it?) and keep them in case anything ever happened to my alternative thyroid hormone supply.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Jazzw]

You don't even need to get the prescription dispensed.

If someone is concerned that their records continue to show levothyroxine, they can just collect paper prescriptions and not submit them for dispensing.

[Hay2016 in reply to helvella]

My gp Surgery now only sends electronically. 😩 can’t get paper scripts at all from what I’m gathering from comments from my surgery.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hay2016]

I was under the impression that, whilst they might try to deny it, you are actually entitled to demand paper prescriptions.

However, I will have to check it out - things do change.

[Hay2016 in reply to helvella]

I wasn’t in a position to challenge it but will as I usually post my script to get a specific brand not readily available at local pharmacies. I’ll gear up as due to get script in Nov.

[humanbean in reply to helvella]

I was collecting paper prescriptions until Covid-19 struck and GPs went into hiding. I was allocated the nearest pharmacy by the surgery and I don't think there is any appeal.

What I have never understood is how patients are supposed to deal with the situation where something they have been prescribed isn't available from the pharmacy someone has nominated or been allocated to. It hasn't affected me yet but I'm sure it will eventually.

[Grom56 in reply to humanbean]

My Doctor‘s use an app called Patient Access (you get the code to register from them) in the app you can change your nominated pharmacy. Give your doctor a ring and ask

[humanbean in reply to Grom56]

That isn't really the point I was making.

If my prescription has been sent to pharmacy X but pharmacy X can't get the things on my prescription or can't get the brand of Levo I want how do I get a copy of my prescription to take elsewhere?

And if I have a prescription with three things on it, and two have already been dispensed how do I get a copy of my prescription with just the one thing on it that pharmacy X can't get?

[humanbean in reply to Grom56]

Oh, when I said I'd been nominated a pharmacy and I thought there was no appeal - I wasn't talking about appealing against the pharmacy I'd been allocated. What I want is to be able to get paper prescriptions again and take them where I want to. And where I want to take them to may differ depending on what is on the prescription.

There is something I get on prescription very occasionally which I really struggle to get because very few pharmacies will have it in stock. Some of the independent pharmacies will manage to get hold of it, but the big chains never do.

[SPD1 in reply to humanbean]

Hi,

i struggled with my usual pharmacy supplying Mercury Pharma at the beginning of lock down, supply seems back to normal now but what i did in the interim was phone a couple of other local pharmacies who actually had MP in stock and then i spoke to my usual pharmacy and asked them to send over digitally my prescription to the pharmacy which had MP, both pharmacies were fine about it, my prescription continues to go to my usual pharmacy...hope this helps.

[humanbean in reply to SPD1]

Thanks for the info.

[RedApple Administrator]

M33R4, As I understand it, it's the diagnosis of hypothyroidism that counts, not the prescription. You presumably have an exemption card? If so, you are covered until that expires. At expiry, you'll need a GP to sign you off for a new card, (unless you've hit the magic age of 60 when you get free prescriptions anyway). If you haven't collected a prescription for thyroid hormone, someone may notice and query it. But that doesn't negate your hypothyroid diagnosis.

[humanbean]

Ooh, I haven't heard of that before. Thanks for mentioning it.