Official Prescriptions article discussion 10 March 2010 at 11:16AM edited 22 August 2012 at 9:07AM in Health & Beauty MoneySaving 52 replies 47.6K views

titchy1

rick_x wrote: »

Depends on what you use, some are cheaper, some are dearer than an NHS script, my advice would be ask your GP - most practices have electronic prescribing and the cost will be easy to look up for you. If it's cheaper you can ask for a private script - don't forget to factor in the dispensing fee though.

ventolin / salbutamol evohalers (the ones where you push down whilst inhaling) are cheaper. You are likely to hit the minimum charge so it may be more cost effective to ask for 2 on a single prescription. The vast majority of the others (beclometasone / seretide / symbicort) are likely to be much more expensive on private prescription than NHS script. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin or trimethoprim are often cheaper on private prescription too - depends on the length of course though!

Asking your GP is a good idea - but in reality the prices are often wildly out of date. (The NHS requires some drugs to be dispensed at a loss so the NHS price paid is not necessarily useful)

If it is a regular medicine then why not ask your pharmacy first? You could always phone them & ask for details. Make a note of the person that you spoke to & you can get a couple of quotes before you decide where to go.

wildthing01

in the article it states you get free prescriptions while pregnant, but it's worth noting that the free cover lasts until your baby's 1st birthday. so it's worth getting any expensive dental work etc done during that first year - some treatments like mercury fillings aren't always recommended while pregnant, but can be done once baby is born.

will-in-estoril

If you live or visit Portugal the following link gives a list, including price, of all generic medication on sale in pharmacies in Portugal. Although in Portuguese it is pretty easy to follow.

Pesquisar = Search
Limpar = Clear
Imprimir = Print

http://www.infarmed.pt/genericos/pesquisamg/pesquisaMG.php

Dubyabeeay

Sorry if this is old ground but I save money on precriptions this way. Just to give you my background I am on repeat prescriptions for a minimum of 3 items. I have a 3 month supply put on the script by the Dr when I get my repeat.
I apply for a 3 month Pre paid certificate ONLINE the same week that my script is due. You can state the start date on the application. A day or so after this date I go to the Chemist with my script and buy the 3 items and explain that I have a PPC en-route. They will give you a reciept (FP57 I think). When your PPC arrives (usually less than a week) take it and the reciept back to the chemist and they will repay you the charges. In about 2 and a half months I ask the Dr for my repeat presc which they will give you provided it is not too early. I then buy my next 3 months medicines before the PPC expires. I then wait 3 months for my next prescription and start the above procedure all over again.
Thus I get 12 month worth of medicines for the price of 2 x 3 month PPC's. Currently that is 28.25 x 2 = 56.5 instead of 86.40 minimum. sometimes you can get caught out if the Dr changes your medicine during the time when your PPC is not in force but if it is during the valid times you have nothing to worry about as they will be free. With careful working it is a real saving. It is not illegal in any way and is just utilising the rules in your favour but the important factor in this is to 'persuade' your Dr to give you 3 months of medicines on a script if that is suitable.

mallard

Dubyabeeay wrote: »

Sorry if this is old ground but I save money on precriptions this way. Just to give you my background I am on repeat prescriptions for a minimum of 3 items. I have a 3 month supply put on the script by the Dr when I get my repeat.
I apply for a 3 month Pre paid certificate ONLINE the same week that my script is due. You can state the start date on the application. A day or so after this date I go to the Chemist with my script and buy the 3 items and explain that I have a PPC en-route. They will give you a reciept (FP57 I think). When your PPC arrives (usually less than a week) take it and the reciept back to the chemist and they will repay you the charges. In about 2 and a half months I ask the Dr for my repeat presc which they will give you provided it is not too early. I then buy my next 3 months medicines before the PPC expires. I then wait 3 months for my next prescription and start the above procedure all over again.
Thus I get 12 month worth of medicines for the price of 2 x 3 month PPC's. Currently that is 28.25 x 2 = 56.5 instead of 86.40 minimum. sometimes you can get caught out if the Dr changes your medicine during the time when your PPC is not in force but if it is during the valid times you have nothing to worry about as they will be free. With careful working it is a real saving. It is not illegal in any way and is just utilising the rules in your favour but the important factor in this is to 'persuade' your Dr to give you 3 months of medicines on a script if that is suitable.

This definitely the way to go if you can manage it and there are no changes to your meds - i do this for my partner! As for poor me i am on a loads of meds and so pay for the pre-payment over a year which does save a load of money.

lynzpik

I am aware that Asda has started doing IVF drugs, but how can you find out how much they are and where to get them from?
I have looked on their online sites but can't find it!

Cheers

psam

lynzpik wrote: »

I am aware that Asda has started doing IVF drugs, but how can you find out how much they are and where to get them from?
I have looked on their online sites but can't find it!

Cheers

Hi, I went into Asda and asked about this last week. Any store with a Pharmacy can get you the IVF meds now. You need to take your prescription in and they will order the meds for you (so do it with a few days grace so as not to be panicking they won't arrive in time).
I am sorry I did not ask prices, but as they are doing it as a non profit thing it should be lots cheaper than getting them from your clinic or any of the independant pharmacy's.

Lots of luck

LilAmbar

titchy1 wrote: »

ventolin / salbutamol evohalers (the ones where you push down whilst inhaling) are cheaper.

Can I add a note of caution to this...if you struggle to use the MDI inhalers (the ones where you push down while inhaling as described above), don't try to save money by switching to them. For your Salbutamol inhaler (usually blue) that you can use when you need it, you will just end up using more doses, so buying more inhalers.

If you are going to switch, your GP, practice (or asthma or COPD) nurse or your pharmacist can check that you are using it properly, and help you get it right if you are not.

LilAmbar

I've been told today that Asda's dispensing fee for private prescriptions is only 50p so they are likely to be the cheapest on the high street.

xycom1

atypical wrote: »

Where have you got the £95 price from? If it's from a Lloyds Pharmacy that is the final cost. The amount Lloyds add on to the drug cost is tapered not fixed. VAT also has to be added to the cost price.

VAT doesn't apply to private prescriptions for humans, just veterinary prescriptions.