Do prescription charges apply to 'stop smoking' drugs?

[Somerset]

I've just started a 'stop smoking' course via my G.P.'s. Had an interview with the nurse who went and got a packet of champix and arranged the next meeting. I asked if I pay for the champix as I pay for my prescriptions and she said ''no''.

Got a phone call today asking why I hadn't paid the prescription charge for the champix ? So just trying to find out if prescription charges apply or not - as nurse said ''no'' but G.P. admin say ''yes''.

[kitschkitty]

I'd be interested to know this as I saw a comment in another post that said if you get tax credits you don't have to pay for them, but I wondered if they were confusing this with applying for the HC1 certificate (which not every one on tax credits is eligible for).

[alison999]

I'd be interested to know this as I saw a comment in another post that said if you get tax credits you don't have to pay for them, but I wondered if they were confusing this with applying for the HC1 certificate (which not every one on tax credits is eligible for).


if youre covered by tax credits you'll have a white card, i its a hc form it'll be a form (letter), either a hc2 or hc3. a hc1 is what you fill in and send off to get the hc2 or hc3

[kitschkitty]

Sorry to clarify if you are on tax credits you may have a HC3 form in which case you still have to pay prescription costs, so will you still have to pay for aids to assist in giving up smoking?

[alison999]

Sorry to clarify if you are on tax credits you may have a HC3 form in which case you still have to pay prescription costs, so will you still have to pay for aids to assist in giving up smoking?

you have to fill in a hc1 to get a hc3 form, hc forms and tax credit exemptions are not the same thing.

have you asked at a chemist? they should be a ble to give you a precise answer

[gladysrocker]

I had to pay prescription charges when I was on Champix.

[hardpressed]

Unless you are exempt from prescription charges you have to pay for any medication to stop smoking. Nurses are expert in their field but not always on the admin side of things.

[moneysaving pharmacist]

Nurses and doctors generally know very little about prescriptions charges, and at times I wonder if they know they exist at all. The normal rules apply to smoking cessation treatments and unless you can tick one of the boxes on the back of the prescription you have to pay. Still, think of how much money you are saving by not smoking.

[medders2604]

It may be because the GP surgery had it in stock.
I recently needed injections for a holiday had to collect the prescription from the chemist but my friend I am travelling with had hers at her GP surgery and because they had them in stock at the GP surgery it was free.
I asked the chemist about it and she said its up to individual GP surgeries to decide what they have in stock and what they write prescriptions for. If they have it in stock it comes out of the GP budget and is therefore free.