NHS Penalty Charge Notice received

KitKatKen

I recently received a PCN from the NHS Business Services Authority for:

Prescription Charges: £26.40
Penalty Charge: £100.00
Total Due: £126.40

It says on the front page "an automated check has shown that on or between 19th October 2018 and 05 November 2018 I claimed A FREE NHS prescription.

It said I "submitted a claim named as a valid prescription prepayment certificate" and I should pay by 15th February 2019.

I never made any claim or even purchased any medication at that time or for at least a year.

I did have a prepayment card that I allowed to lapse at the end of September 2018 as I no longer wanted to take the blood pressure medication I had been prescribed as they made me ill.

I then visited my GP around the end of October for a chest infection and he noticed I had not asked for any medication for nearly a year and sent a prescription electronically to my local chemist even though I told him I didn't want them any more. I was annoyed he ignored my wishes and decided I would not collect any of the medication and forgot all about it.

I suspect that as I am on record as having a prescription prepayment card, my chemist processed my prescription in my absence and when I failed to collect them this automated check has flagged that I've made this claim.

I guess I need to go to my chemist and ask them but dreading having to face an interrogation as to why I am refusing to take my meds, however, that still does not excuse them for completing my prescription in my absence if they have done so.

I'm obviously going to appeal but don't know how to word my response. Should I keep it simple and just say I made no such claim and let them prove otherwise or tell them the above information and what I suspect might have happened? I'm hoping the fact I have not collected a single drug will help resolve this situation in my favour.

Can someone advise on what I should do please?

Many thanks in advance,

w06

I had one of these last month, in my case I had had a prepayment certificate for many years but am currently on Universal Credit and exempt from charges, and so didn't renew my prepayment certificate last summer. The chemist had it on their system that I had a prepayment certificate and ticked that box on the prescription on my behalf - when I went to collect it I was given a copy and not the original which I did sign but evidently the chemist's version went to the powers that be.

I emailed and explained and the charge and fine was waived - because I was exempt just not for the reason.

I'd email (the online system wasn't working when I tried it but it may be now) explain clearly as you have here what has happened and that the medication was never collected. Don't worry about choosing not to take your medication, that bit is irrelevant to this and it's your choice anyway.

SingleSue

I had one through at the beginning of this month but I had actually paid for the prescription and signed the back stating I had!

After ringing up in a panic, I was advised that because it had been sent electronically and as I used to have free prescriptions, somehow the pharmacy had marked it on their own systems as not needing to pay and it was their copy that was sent off and not the one I signed.

Fine was cancelled but it makes me very wary about getting anymore prescriptions in case it happens again.

calleyw

They seem do random pulls on the prescription forms without checking unless its changed in the last year or so. I know someone who has due to epilepsy a 5 year exemption. They had a year to run on the exemption get a Penalty Notice letter. And you can guess who got the distressed phone call because of it.



He had a stroke that caused the epilepsy, so part of his brain is dead inside his head. Hence why he got very distressed about it.


If you use the same pharmacy then check the records they hold on you to make sure the information is correct and up to date. If using a different pharmacy then make sure you produce your exemption card.



Yours


Calley x

Flugelhorn

in our dispensary we didn't mark a script as pay or not pay until the medication was actually collected, if it wasn't collected after a period of time then it was removed from those waiting to be collected and the prescription destroyed - it would not have been sent to the PPA. You can't be charged etc for a prescription you don't collect.

Murphybear

venison wrote: »

As I see it you don't have to explain to the chemist why you are not taking your meds thats up to you, what you do need to ascertain is if theyfor some reason processed the prescription and if so why, then you can speak to the PCN people and explain.

What a bizarre comment. The fault here is the GPS, not the pharmacy. The pharmacy processed the prescription because they received the prescription, that's what they do :rotfl:

Flugelhorn

Murphybear wrote: »

What a bizarre comment. The fault here is the GPS, not the pharmacy. The pharmacy processed the prescription because they received the prescription, that's what they do :rotfl:

I think the point is that they issued the prescription, ie they labelled the meds and put them in the bag, but the actual processing ie marking off that it has been collected and the fee status shouldn't have been done until it was actually collected

w06

that's how it should work flugelhorn, but from my own experience, and it sounds as though the OP's too, some pharmacies jump the gun and send off the scrip for payment prior to collection - mine definitely does as there was much consternation when I asked to sign the back and tick the correct box but htey didn't have it anymore ... I've since changed pharmacy

Flugelhorn

w06 wrote: »

that's how it should work flugelhorn, but from my own experience, and it sounds as though the OP's too, some pharmacies jump the gun and send off the scrip for payment prior to collection - mine definitely does as there was much consternation when I asked to sign the back and tick the correct box but htey didn't have it anymore ... I've since changed pharmacy

hmm I think I would to! sounds like a touch of fraud - the declaration on the back of the script is for the patient or their rep to sign, how does the pharmacist know which box to tick?

TELLIT01

The OP needs to contact whoever issued the Penalty Charge Notice and let them know the situation. It could have been a one off error by the pharmacy, or it could be done deliberately in order to boost their income. Either way, the issue needs to be addressed. If needs be, ask to see a copy of the prescription with your signature.

Pennywise

OP, it wasn't the GP surgeries' own in-house pharmacy was it? I've had the same happen where they do it all automatically and claim before you've even signed the back of the form upon collection.

In my case, I didn't even want their in house pharmacy to issue it - I've always gone to a local independent pharmacy who I've known for decades, yet they just took it upon themselves to do it in-house without my knowledge nor approval.

More money making for the GP surgery partners!!