Prescription charges

qwert_yuiop

Yes indeed, free prescriptions here, the English have to pay. 'Cause we're special and we're worth it.

warmhands.coldheart

donnac2558 wrote: »

..... My doctor refuses to give over the counter stuff on prescription......

Why..... Paracetamol is Paracetamol whatever the brand.... there are obviously things you cant buy "over the counter" like Prescribed drugs.... but as far as the basic stuff goes... they shouldn't be prescribing "Brands".... you're paying for the name and advertising... that's all.....

warmhands.coldheart

Saw a tweet yesterday on BBC NI that we go through the equivalent of 26.6 prescriptions per head of population per year here in Northern Ireland ..... CRAZY !!!

steveymp

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

Saw a tweet yesterday on BBC NI that we go through the equivalent of 26.6 prescriptions per head of population per year here in Northern Ireland ..... CRAZY !!!

I haven't had one since you had to pay for them :eek: at the time the pharmacist sold me 2 out of the 3 things as they were cheaper than prescription charge :rotfl:

Someone else is obviously using my 26.6 allowance too

£2 charge per prescription with kids and OAP's free would be fair to everyone, those who need a lot could buy a yearly one for about £50, thats is a Friday night out for most that complain about any charging:o

engineer_amy

I wouldn't have an issue with paying a nominal fee for prescriptions, as other posters have said - a flat fee of £1 per item.


I am very rarely ill (other than colds and sniffles which are dealt with by over the counter meds), and could count on the fingers of one hand how many prescriptions I have needed in the past 10 years. Long may it continue touch wood. So a charge for prescriptions wouldn't be too much of a hardship for me.


Those with chronic illnesses or taking a cocktail of tablets, should be allowed an annual certificate of say £50

BigAl94

So - let me see if I have got this right.


The more ill you are and the more medication you require, the more you will pay towards this specialist drug fund while those who are healthy and don't require medication will pay nothing towards this fund which statistically many of them will require in the future.


Simply unfair and a tax on the sick.

donnac2558

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

Why..... Paracetamol is Paracetamol whatever the brand.... there are obviously things you cant buy "over the counter" like Prescribed drugs.... but as far as the basic stuff goes... they shouldn't be prescribing "Brands".... you're paying for the name and advertising... that's all.....

A friend phoned and asked for a painkiller and was told to she had buy it herself. I always buy generic myself. My inhaler and stomach ulcer tablets are generic, as long as they would I don't care. My problem happened when they changed a certain tablet I was on and my liver function went nuts. A year later still trying to get it back to normal. It started at 16 then up to 800+ now down to 400+. It means I have to go for month blood tests.

Old_Git

It is alright the people who are working and rarely need a prescription saying pay £1 per item .In my experience its the long term sick who are not pension age who have the least disposable income .£1 per item can certainly tot up on a weekly /monthly basics .
I certainly wouldn't exempt pensioners .They often have the most disposable income.

warmhands.coldheart

BigAl94 wrote: »

So - let me see if I have got this right.


The more ill you are and the more medication you require, the more you will pay......

Yip...... seems pretty logical to me... same way the more food a family requires... the more they pay for said more food...... the more you drive your car... the more fuel you'll require so the more you'll pay....

Healthy people who do not get regular prescriuptions or who rarely go to the hospital pay into the NHS too you know!!! it's called National Insurance!!

warmhands.coldheart

Old_Git wrote: »

It is alright the people who are working and rarely need a prescription saying pay £1 per item .In my experience its the long term sick who are not pension age who have the least disposable income .£1 per item can certainly tot up on a weekly /monthly basics .
I certainly wouldn't exempt pensioners .They often have the most disposable income.

I understand where you're coming from..... as yes you do get people on a "cocktail" of drugs for illnesses... but in those circumstances there is the option being muted of a one off annual fee of say £50 to cover everything..... The £1 per item fee would be more to make those who get a prescription for every little thing to think twice... like as stated before general painkillers that can be bought cheaper in a local convenience store..