prescriptions for babies.

craftdaft

MrsE wrote: »

I thought pregnant women couldn't take medication unless prescribed by a doctor?

I assume the pharmacist would only prescribe something that is suitable for pregnant women. I know some pregnant women don't like to take anything but personally I was happy to take Gaviscon and when buying it the staff at our local chemist pointed out if I got it under MAS scheme I could get a much bigger bottle (and obviously wouldn't need to pay for it).

GlasweJen

craftdaft wrote: »

I feel awful now If I'd known that I would have hunted around the house to scrape together the 40-odd pence (rural chemist - paracetamol def costs more than 17p here). Why does it cost so much to fund (sorry if I'm being stupid)? I assumed that the scheme only paid the actual cost of the item? As soon as I was back at work I didn't use the scheme for myself and some items for DD I just get, eg. HV said she needed emulsifying ointment (and to get it under MAS) due to angry red patch on her face, as it was £1.50 I just got it myself (which I'm glad about now I know how much it actually costs).

That wasn't aimed at you specifically sorry. Sometimes it is just beyond the reach of someone on income based benefits and that's what MAS is all about. People who are exempt purely on health grounds can have really well paid jobs (like my ex's dad who has diabetes who was a company director) and are too tight to pay the price of the paracetamol are the ones who are ripping it! Also my boss who earns a fortune uses MAS for his kids, this is the man who bought a horse at the weekend just cos he liked it!

The reason it costs so much is that there is an average price for prescriptions that the NHS pay for every item on a prescription regardless of what the item is. Pharmacies that do MAS get money to administer the scheme, money for every customer they get on it (to stop them signing up and not following through) and then claim an average item cost for everything dispensed.

Think that's expensive? You would choke if you saw the money involved in doing methadone dispenses.

GlasweJen

craftdaft wrote: »

I assume the pharmacist would only prescribe something that is suitable for pregnant women. I know some pregnant women don't like to take anything but personally I was happy to take Gaviscon and when buying it the staff at our local chemist pointed out if I got it under MAS scheme I could get a much bigger bottle (and obviously wouldn't need to pay for it).

We have a list of things that pregnant people can use; maalox, 1% thrush cream, gaviscon and paracetamol are pretty much all that we give but occasionally someone requests something else and we find that it is listed as safe.

craftdaft

GlasweJen wrote: »

That wasn't aimed at you specifically sorry. Sometimes it is just beyond the reach of someone on income based benefits and that's what MAS is all about. People who are exempt purely on health grounds can have really well paid jobs (like my ex's dad who has diabetes who was a company director) and are too tight to pay the price of the paracetamol are the ones who are ripping it! Also my boss who earns afortune uses MAS for his kids, this is the man who bought a horse at the weekend just cos he liked it!

The reason it costs so much is that there is an average price for prescriptions that the NHS pay for every item on a prescription regardless of what the item is. Pharmacies that do MAS get money to administer the scheme, money for every customer they get on it (to stop them signing up and not following through) and then claim an average item cost for everything dispensed.

Think that's expensive? You would choke if you saw the money involved in doing methadone dispenses.

Thanks for explaining :T I suppose it must be quite difficult to take an average cost, especially because a lot of people will only use it for more expensive things. Will think carefully when using it in future.

I think it must be quite difficult when you know the person can easily afford it but uses the scheme because it's there. I'm a bit worried that's what's going to happen when prescription charges are dropped in April (in Scotland). I'm predicting a big increase in Drs appointments..... (I use a prepayment certificate for all my medication and would prefer system stays as it is but that's taking the discussion to a whole new level!)

Humphrey10

MrsE wrote: »

Doctors shouldn't be allowed to prescribe anything that can be bought over the counter.

That's a bit harsh imo - I get blood glucose strips on prescription, but these are available over the counter, costing £25 for 50. That would work out at £3 per day if I tested as frequently as I was recommended to.
Also lots of people have to take painkillers and antihistamines long term, I don't think they should have to pay even if they can buy the stuff over the counter (I have to take antihistamines but the ones I'm on are prescription only).
For cheap occasional things I do see your point though.

GlasweJen

I grudge prescriptions for anything available OTC that costs less than the prescription charge (only £3.00 in Scotland, obviously it's not that easy for people in England who pay £7 odd for their prescriptions).

The average NHS item value is mad, sometimes we get prescriptions for items that cost over £100 and others we get for stuff that costs 15p. I don't agree with the quanities prescribed as well sometimes, we have one woman who gets gluten free stuff prescribed for her and the sheer amount she gets every month is astonishing - who needs 5 of one loaf and 3 of another in the space of a month plus flour and paninis?

Humphrey10

What, people get bread on prescription?? Can't they just not eat bread if they are gluten intolerant? Many people with diabetes eat no bread at all (to avoid the carbohydrate), as do people on Atkins etc, its really not that unusual not to eat bread.

My prescriptions are free, so I do sometimes get OTC things on prescription that would cost less than the prescription charge, eg I had to get something that was £10 OTC but counted as 2x chargeable items, so £14 prescription charge. That's a tiny amount compared to what the NHS pays for my insulin and test strips though, I hate to think how much I cost the NHS per year

barbiedoll

I know what you mean about the gluten-free stuff. We had a woman who used to get a prescription for her 11 yr old for 8 loaves, upteen rolls and boxes of flour, EVERY WEEK! The kid would have been around 30 stone if she'd actually eaten that lot herself! :mad::mad:

And as for the nicotine patches, prescribed for over 3 years to the same man? (Who is still puffing away now :mad:) We know he sells them in the local pub!!!

juno

There are guidelines for prescribing gluten free stuff. Every item is worth a certain amount of points, and coeliacs are allowed a certain amount of points each month (children and adults are allowed different amounts).

GlasweJen, add up how much bread you eat a month. If you have sandwiches for lunch every day it's really not that much - gluten free loaves are smaller than normal loaves anyway!

Humphrey, it's not just bread. It's anything containing gluten, which is found in a hell of a lot of stuff.

It is getting easier to buy gluten free items in supermarkets, but it's still expensive and not that great. Years ago when I started getting things on prescription supermarkets had hardly anything. It also doesn't last as well; my daddy happily eats bread for a week or so but Genius gluten free bread goes green the day after its best before date.

Humphrey10

I know it's not just bread that has gluten in, but it was the prescriptions for bread specifically I was commenting on. No-one needs to eat bread.