Prescription: have I been ripped off and can I do anything about it?

jonesMUFCforever

Move to lovely Wales - our prescriptions are free.

Only useful thing that those WAG's in Cardiff have ever done! Only problem is that you have to be bloody ill to take advantage!

Butlers1982

I have had presciptions that are dearer and cheaper.
There is nothing that you can do if you have opened the box.

I personally wouldnt bother with it and would just take it as learning curve.

Always ask the Pharmacist if the item is available over the counter first.

Millionaire

As others have mentioned, just take it as a lesson learn't to check if an item is available without prescription in the future.

My doctors good as well, he will tell me if something is availabe over the counter for cheaper.

redsquirrel80

lindens wrote: »

Always ask if the prescription can be bought over the counter as some can. Some chemists will tell you this off their own back, but I believe they are breaking the law if they do so (i remember a court case last year where a chemist was taken to court for doing this). I don't think you can do anything now.

When I worked in a pharmacy we were told that we had to tell customers if something was available over the counter for less. Can't imagine that our company policy would have broken the law.. unless of course the law has changed in the last few years Anyway, personally I would definitely go back and say something.

ps found this on here which has a bit on the same subject http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/health/cheap-prescriptions

dmg24

sharronloves2spend wrote: »

Scripts get sent on the 1st of each month to the ppa for payment, although i don't know if that varies from each pct. sharron

Yes, it does vary. Also, it depends on the chemist, and whether they process the script at the branch or centrally (i.e. whether they are part of a chain).

misscomickat

Result...

I went back to the chemist last night and explained. They apologised and gave me the difference.

So my advice is, should this happen to anyone else, GO BACK AND ASK
I'm very pleased, that £3.50 will go a long way!

JonnyBravo

rosieben wrote: »

In the past I had a brilliant doctor who would say 'go to the chemist and ask for ..... over the counter because its much cheaper.

My current doctor prescribed me a daily aspirin 75mg. The first time I got them on prescription I paid £6.85 for 30!! I talked to my local pharmacy and she sells 100 for £1.50 - slight difference there. I know I can buy 28 300mg for about 14p in a supermarket and may resort to this at some point.

Pharmaceutical companies are ripping us off left, right and centre, and even if you dont pay for your prescriptions they are still ripping us all off indirectly by overcharging the NHS!

Edited to say, I get my prescriptions free now but still buy my aspirin as I get so angry that fat cats are getting even fatter through diddling our health service.

Ripping us off left right and centre? Diddling our health service? Are you sure?
Or are they the only people in the world developing drugs now the majority of Governments don't have anything to do with that?
Do you want new, more effective treatments to continue to be developed?
If, unluckily, you or someone you knew were to develop cancer, would you be turning down the new cancer drugs due to their cost? I don't suspect so.:wall:

Do they make big profits? Yes, some of them do, others make huge losses.

It's big business. a la, banking, oil etc etc. Get used to it, cos it aint going to change.

rosieben

JonnyBravo wrote: »

Ripping us off left right and centre? Diddling our health service? Are you sure?
Or are they the only people in the world developing drugs now the majority of Governments don't have anything to do with that?
Do you want new, more effective treatments to continue to be developed?
If, unluckily, you or someone you knew were to develop cancer, would you be turning down the new cancer drugs due to their cost? I don't suspect so.:wall:

Do they make big profits? Yes, some of them do, others make huge losses.

It's big business. a la, banking, oil etc etc. Get used to it, cos it aint going to change.

I dont turn down drugs because of their cost, I prefer to use my money as effectively as possible and that means I wont be handing over £5+ to a company for an everyday drug when I can buy it so much cheaper, nor will I take it through a prescription and let the NHS pay for a prescription that should cost less than £1. And, yes, funnily enough, I do know that all companies are out to make money, I have spent the last 40 years working in a senior position in some of the biggest - please dont be so patronising!

angelatgraceland

You are helping to pay towards the "dispensing charge" and not only for the item prescribed. Normally, your doctor would tell you first, and either tell you to buy it over the counter, or if a POM then to write you a private prescription. Always ask. Youve not been ripped off-exactly-but not informed.

If it was 75mg of aspirin-I would simply break a 300mg tablet in 4 pieces! 14p or whatever for 64 "doses".