Selfish/thoughtless NHS users

marliepanda

She still takes the smallest dose of epilim in tablet form (doesnt want to go on the liquid to lower further) on advice of her doctor, who says coming off it entirely could possibly cause another blackout. As she drives she does not want this to happen and leave her unable to drive for 3 years (I think) when she has been blackout free since her teenage years using epilim.

Would she probably be fine coming off it? Almost certainly.

Is she willing to take the risk (and is her Doctor)? No.

Becles

jack_pott wrote: »

How do they decide which chronic conditions warrant free meds and which don't?

When they first muted the free prescriptions for chronic illnesses idea, they trialled it with a few illnesses including diabetes, thyroid disordis and a couple of others. The list has never been updated since!

It's not just meds for the specific diseases though, it's anything on prescriptions. So a diabetic needing antibiotics for a chest infection would get it for free but me with the same chest infection but no diabetes has to pay.

I have Crohns (bowel disease) and need daily medication to control it but I have to pay for prescriptions.

teddysmum

I can understand having free prescriptions if diabetic, as such things as an infection or wound can cause problems, but don't see any for hypothyroidism.


I may be lucky, but as far as I can see, you just take your daily levothyroxine (for life and with appropriately increased doses ) and you are fine.

badmemory

There is also no reason why with something like hypothyroidism they cannot do a prescription for a full year. So why as soon as you hit free prescription age do they insist on you getting it every single month. Also if you couldn't afford your levothyroxine prescription you would die.

Torry_Quine

marliepanda wrote: »

She still takes the smallest dose of epilim in tablet form (doesnt want to go on the liquid to lower further) on advice of her doctor, who says coming off it entirely could possibly cause another blackout. As she drives she does not want this to happen and leave her unable to drive for 3 years (I think) when she has been blackout free since her teenage years using epilim.

Would she probably be fine coming off it? Almost certainly.

Is she willing to take the risk (and is her Doctor)? No.

That really surprises me. I had fits when a teenager in the 70s and was taken off medication when fit free for I think two years but can't remember exactly as so long ago..

It's only a year you have to wait after a fit to drive nowadays.

MothballsWallet

Becles wrote: »

When they first muted the free prescriptions for chronic illnesses idea, they trialled it with a few illnesses including diabetes, thyroid disordis and a couple of others. The list has never been updated since!

It's not just meds for the specific diseases though, it's anything on prescriptions. So a diabetic needing antibiotics for a chest infection would get it for free but me with the same chest infection but no diabetes has to pay.

I have Crohns (bowel disease) and need daily medication to control it but I have to pay for prescriptions.

Is it NIHCE who are in charge of that list? If so, they need to be replaced by someone with a real working brain.

Also, I can think of a load of other conditions that need to be added to that list.

Adereterial

I do think that people with chronic life threatening treatments should get the medication that is needed to manage that, and any associated symptoms, for free. However, for everything else, that should be subject to the same requirements as everyone else.

My sister has thyroid problems, for which she receives free prescriptions for the medication she needs to manage that. What I don't understand is why she gets free prescriptions for painkillers for pain resulting from a back injury she sustained several years beforehand, that she had to pay for before the thyroid issue was diagnosed... Or why she gets free prescriptions for minor infections that are unrelated to the thyroid issue.

[Deleted User]

Presumably most people on regular meds are on them because they need them, so if you give free prescriptions on that basis you've scrapped a large part of the prescription fee. It seems arbitrary really, if you going to have a prescription charge at all, have it for everyone. There's already a PPC to limit the maximum cost anyway.

Alice_Walker

doodle-bug wrote: »

The prepayment is good value, if you need a lot of items.

Problem is, I have been made redundant and am still looking for a job. As my husband works, we must get just over whatever threshold it is as I get absolutely nothing. Suddenly, the £104 seems to be quite high. I know they do it in some instalments, but @£30 seems high when you are living on a very tight budget.

You can pay by DD and split the payment over ten months.

Alice_Walker

jack_pott wrote: »

Presumably most people on regular meds are on them because they need them, so if you give free prescriptions on that basis you've scrapped a large part of the prescription fee. It seems arbitrary really, if you going to have a prescription charge at all, have it for everyone. There's already a PPC to limit the maximum cost anyway.

I think PPC's need to be publicised far more, and if prescription exemptions were scrapped they could offer a reduced rate for those affected. Surely everyone can afford £10, or even a reduced £5 towards their prescriptions each month?