Ridicilous cost of an inhaler!

ellay864

If you have a private prescription you can get the inhaler for around a fiver...but then you have to pay for the consultation differently in the first place. The £7.20 is for an NHS prescription and applies to any medicine through that route...it could even cover the case where a GP writes a script for a medicine that doesn't need a prescription and that you could buy cheaper at a pharmacy without one

nottslass_2

Another alternative is to stock up on inhalers whilst on holiday we always take a trip to the local pharmacy whilst abroard and we've purchased inhalers in the Canary islands,Mainland Spain,Greece,turkey and Egypt.

The cost is about half that of a UK prescription charge and they usually have a shelf life of a couple of years.

HTH

Indie_Kid

Philippa36 wrote: »

Prescriptions are regularly checked and if you choose not to pay for your prescription by ticking the exemption box and you're caught out, you will be charged a lot more than the cost of the prescription.

I'm sure I got told they do this, even if you show proof?

I guess but I should be exempt from paying but they always say I have to pay anyway. I'm still in full time education though. I dont understand that to be honest.

How old are you? if you're over 19, you're not exempt.

jackieb

sh1305 wrote: »

How old are you? if you're over 19, you're not exempt.

It would also depend on what course they were doing. If it's classed as further education you do get it, if it's higher education, you don't. I think it's the same as child benefit. My son's stopped when he was 18 and was doing an HND.

I may be wrong but don't think so. Also, another of my sons is exempt and he has to put his NI number on the back of the prescription, so I think there's probably checks that go on to stop people caliming they're exempt when they're not.

Edited: Oops - sorry. I thought you said they were under 19.

To the OP, wouldn't you be cheaper buying a pre-paid certificate?

nibs

ellay864 wrote: »

If you have a private prescription you can get the inhaler for around a fiver...but then you have to pay for the consultation differently in the first place. The £7.20 is for an NHS prescription and applies to any medicine through that route...it could even cover the case where a GP writes a script for a medicine that doesn't need a prescription and that you could buy cheaper at a pharmacy without one

As far as Im aware, you can ask for a private prescription instead of an NHS one without paying for the consultation. If you know what you want on prescription, just check out the cost of private versus nhs script and then just ask your dr for the one you want.
(It may have changed now but thats how it used to be)

System

There is nothing stopping you asking for a private prescription the same way that there is nothing stopping the doctor charging you for providing one.

Mk14:37

Very interesting, I wonder if that is still up to date (the wesbite is dated 2006).

I asked my GP about a private prescription for a consultant-recommended drug and was told that there would be a £10 charge for private prescriptions.

It does seem a little topsy-turvy that a consultant can recommend a drug to you that costs pennies, but that you are then compelled to get a prescription from the GP and pay £7.20 for the privilege

funguy

An NHS GP will not give a private prescription for an NHS patient registered to that practice who requires, in his or her opinion, a medication for an ailment that is allowable on an NHS prescription.

You could always see a private GP for a private prescription and they will gladly give you one at a charge.

funguy

All consultants, as registered medical practitioners, are fully able to issue both NHS and private prescriptions but 99% of them refuse to do so! This is because they would then need to take full responsibility of the medication and any issues with it. They are quite happy for your GP to take that risk.

Indie_Kid

Mk14:37 wrote: »

It does seem a little topsy-turvy that a consultant can recommend a drug to you that costs pennies, but that you are then compelled to get a prescription from the GP and pay £7.20 for the privilege

But that's the standard price. It's the same if you need a drug that costs quite a bit more than £7.20. You could ask if you can buy it otc - a few times I've been asked if my prescriptions are free, because it would be cheaper for me to buy otc than pay £7.20.