Prescription charge?

agrinnall

seashore22 wrote: »

My surgery prescribes enough for 2 months at a time. My previous surgery prescribed enough for 3 months. Did you mean specifically this type of medication?

I asked my GP if I could get 3 months of my hypertension meds on each prescription to save on charges, which she did, so I now pay one charge for a 3 month supply rather than 3 charges for 3 separate months (and I only need to visit the pharmacy every 3 months).

Fosterdog

photome wrote: »

Why are you not taking them straight away.
AFAIK doctors are only supposed to prescribe enough
medication for a month so would expect you to finish them within a month

It depends on what the medication is and how long overall it is needed for as to how much can be prescribed. Most meds need to be evaluated at least every three months to check for dosages, side effects, long term effects etc. But there are some that can be prescribed for six months before you’d need to visit your GP again.

photome

Must just be my doctor then, I have asked for 2 months worth of meds’ at a time to save on prescription costs and he has refused.

I now have a yearly prepaid , so haven’t asked in a while

pmduk

I doubt whether filling a prescription counts as a normal consumer purchase. The prescription charge is a tax rather than the cost of the items.

I shall be on most of my meds for life and my GP prescribes 2 months at a time to save the practice's admin costs.

unforeseen

Whether it is 1, 2 or 3 month prescriptions is a decision made by each CCG hence the variation.

Top level guidance recommends one month to minimise wastage but is not binding on a CCG.

agrinnall

unforeseen wrote: »

Top level guidance recommends one month to minimise wastage but is not binding on a CCG.

Blanket recommendation seems a bit odd, it should surely depend on the type of medication and the reason for prescribing. I have been on the same two hypertension drugs for the last 10 years, and expect to remain on them for the rest of my life, so I could be prescribed a year's supply and there would be no wastage (unless I die before it's used up, which hopefully won't be any time soon).

unforeseen

agrinnall wrote: »

Blanket recommendation seems a bit odd, it should surely depend on the type of medication and the reason for prescribing. I have been on the same two hypertension drugs for the last 10 years, and expect to remain on them for the rest of my life, so I could be prescribed a year's supply and there would be no wastage (unless I die before it's used up, which hopefully won't be any time soon).

And that is why it is non binding guidance.

The default position is one month and it is then up to the doctor when prescribing to change if they wish based on the condition, shelf life of medicine, whether this is a one off etc

I am on 2 tablets for life but can only get a month at a time. It's not a problem because that is dealt with by repeat prescriptions

On the other side of the coin I have a pile of various ointments for psoriasis that were prescribed by my consultant. After each consultation the medication got changed with instructions to stop using the previous ones. That could have been an even bigger waste if the policy was 2 or 3 months worth as I would have had unopened tubes that would have to be binned