Medical Exemption Certificate for free prescriptions

Unity

Hello,

I did a quick search but couldn't find anything on this new board referring to this - so I'm posting here in the hope it may help someone, the way I was helped by being told about the bus pass for carers.

If you are disabled and under pension age and have to pay for prescriptions this may be of use. http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/medex.htm You can apply for a Medical Exemption Certificate which gets you free prescriptions. Most people think that this is only for specific medical conditions and that if they don't have these they will not qualify however there is a final clause that says: -

"a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months."

If you get the care component of DLA and need the help of another person to get out and about, you may well qualify. You can obtain a form from either your GP, a pharmacy or the above web-site.

This doesn't get you free dental treatment or eye tests/specs - but if you qualify it will save you buying a pre-payment certificate.

I hope it helps someone.

Love,
Unity

muppet_1

There is a government e petition asking for free persciptions for all Carers

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Freeforcarers/

Please sign it as more than 200 signatures are needed for them to look at it seriously.

Unity

muppet_1 wrote: »

There is a government e petition asking for free persciptions for all Carers

http://www.petitions.pm.gov.uk/Freeforcarers/

Please sign it as more than 200 signatures are needed for them to look at it seriously.

I certainly will. I think it is shameful that carers are expected to manage on just over £50 per week - far less than the minimum wage, yet they are expected to pay for prescriptions. I'll also pass this on to as many people as possible that I know who don't come on these boards.

Thanks for this,
Unity

muppet_1

Sorry address was wrong first time. I have amended it. It is now correct.:T

Lindy-Lou_2

Have signed the petition, if you buy the annual prepaid certificate that equates to almost 2 weeks 'salary'!! What they give with one hand, they take back with another - thanks and I hope the Government look at it in the same way - won't hold my breath though!!!

Lindlou

Saversue

How do you get the form from the website. I can only see it says get form from your doctors? Has anyone with severe depression managed to get it, this would save me £500 for my prepayment certificate over 5 years. I have 14 items per month on prescription.

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi saversue, the medical exemption applies to certain conditions (set out below). I don't think depression (no matter how severe) would qualify. Sadly, there are a lot of medical conditions that don't qualify - including, would you believe, cystic fybrosis!

The specified medical conditions are:

• a permanent fistula (for example caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance
• forms of hypoadrenalism (for example Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
• diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism
• diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone
• hypoparathyroidism
• myasthenia gravis
• myxoedema
• epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy
• a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months.

Unity

Saversue wrote: »

How do you get the form from the website. I can only see it says get form from your doctors? Has anyone with severe depression managed to get it, this would save me £500 for my prepayment certificate over 5 years. I have 14 items per month on prescription.

To be honest the only room for manoeuvre with the criteria on this form is the final condition;

"a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months."

It sidesteps the preceding conditions and simply means if you cannot go out without the help of another person - say because you might fall, collapse or become confused and not know where you are etc. then you could be entitled. It may well be that this terminology may be being changed to include those with mental health problems as the DLA forms have been changed to accommodate them. It would certainly be worth writing an accompanying letter with the form to try and find out.

Good luck with it and with the depression - no one knows what it's like till they've been there. I for one am dreading the clocks going back at the weekend as this always makes me much worse.

Best wishes,
Unity

ivyleaf

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Hi saversue, the medical exemption applies to certain conditions (set out below). I don't think depression (no matter how severe) would qualify. Sadly, there are a lot of medical conditions that don't qualify - including, would you believe, cystic fybrosis!

The specified medical conditions are:

• a permanent fistula (for example caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance
• forms of hypoadrenalism (for example Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
• diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism
• diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone
• hypoparathyroidism
• myasthenia gravis
• myxoedema
• epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy
• a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months.

I understand the Govermment has been reviewing this and that other chronic conditions will now be included, but haven't seen anything as yet to say which conditions now qualify.

Apparently Cystic Fybrosis wasn't on the original list because when it was drawn up (in the 1960s, I think), no-one with CF survived beyond childhood, and of course children get free prescriptions anyway.

I'm waiting with interest to see whather ME/CFS will be on the new list - I'm guessing not, because they will say there is no specific treatment for it, but it would be great not to have to pay for my painkillers etc - I have a prepayment cert but it's a lot of dosh to find out of my IB.

Saversue

Thanks to ivyleaf,Unity and zzzlazydaisy for the info. When are the rules changing? I also have a Prolapsed Disc and other health problems, so would love to know what's going to be included. Seems mad that Cystic Fybrosis is not exempt.

wogglemaker

I have Chronic Asthma / Chronic Obstructive Pulnonary Disease and chronic sleep apnia. up until August when I developed steroid induced diabetes I had to purchase a prepayment certificate. fortunately before my health deteriorated at the end of June it did not cause a problem.

Unfortunately it looks like I am now going to have to go down the route of DLA, as it looks very unlightly I will be able to return to work.

I look forward to speaking with you again soon
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]
[/FONT]