MSE News: Superdrug to cut private prescription costs

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"The high street pharmacy is to dispense privately prescribed drugs with no mark-up on the price of the medicine ..."

Read the full story:

Superdrug to cut private prescription costs

atypical

If anyone wants to find the trade price of a drug they are able to register for access to the BNF (a dictionary of drugs) here. Search for the drug as it's written on the prescription and click on the expand button at the bottom of the page. It's not perfect, but still very accurate.

Sagz_2

Does this include scripts for pet meds?

atypical

Norbertsmum wrote: »

Does this include scripts for pet meds?

Should do, the article says "It will apply to all products dispensed under a private prescription". Vet meds are on private scripts.

MiserlyMartin

I find it amusing that the examples given for the savings made includes Viagra. Was that really necessary?

busybee100

atypical wrote: »

If anyone wants to find the trade price of a drug they are able to register for access to the BNF (a dictionary of drugs) here. Search for the drug as it's written on the prescription and click on the expand button at the bottom of the page. It's not perfect, but still very accurate.

Do you have full access? It won't let me in to some.

siamese0109

My GP refuses to issue Private prescriptions even though the medication I required at the time I asked would have been far cheaper that way. When I challenged him about it armed with some info I found on-line he just told me that it was against the rules within the Practice. He did offer to double the amount he prescribed me which helped but still didn't match the private cost :mad:

geordie_joe

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

I find it amusing that the examples given for the savings made includes Viagra. Was that really necessary?

I expect it was. If you believe the statistics, 100 million men need something like viagra, but most get it from dodgy web sites and what they actually get is very different from what they were expecting. Advertising the fact that you can now get the real stuff cheaper would be a good thing.

atypical

busybee100 wrote: »

Do you have full access? It won't let me in to some.

Yes, it should let you access everything after you've registered. If you want a price feel free to PM me.

siamese0109 wrote: »

My GP refuses to issue Private prescriptions even though the medication I required at the time I asked would have been far cheaper that way.

This is standard practice. Would you be willing to take a private script if it would have been far more expensive that way? The prescription charge contributed just 5.6% towards the drug bill in 2004, the lowest than in almost all countries in the world.

There are practical reasons too: it hinders data collection and adds work for the pharmacy as it has to be entered (normally by hand) into a register. I imagine the PCT would question a GP practice about why they were providing so many private scripts/why they weren't prescribing x drug when all other practices were (as it wouldn't show in the data).

geordie_joe wrote: »

I expect it was. If you believe the statistics, 100 million men need something like viagra

To echo what you say, Viagra is by far the most common drug seen on private scripts. Probably see more on NHS scripts, where it's funded if the person has certain conditions.

chalkysoil

siamese0109 wrote: »

My GP refuses to issue Private prescriptions even though the medication I required at the time I asked would have been far cheaper that way. When I challenged him about it armed with some info I found on-line he just told me that it was against the rules within the Practice. He did offer to double the amount he prescribed me which helped but still didn't match the private cost :mad:

I asked mine about thyroid pills, I actually get them free but it's an 8 mile trip to drop the repeat prescription in, then 8 miles to collect it from the chemist, no bus service. As I'm on them for life getting them monthly is a major pain. He now gives me 56 days at a go but as they are so cheap in bulk I had the idea I could buy a 1000 at a time on a private prescription and save the mileage costs and time, but not allowed.

siamese0109

I needed Warfarin and in all different strengths because my blood levels weren't stable! I bypassed the GP in the end - took the prescription from him, binned it and bought them when I went to Spain at about £1 a box :beer: