Pre-paid prescription expired will we get a fine

UKSBD

Sorry if in wrong place to post this, couldn't find anywhere more suitable

My wifes pre-paid prescrcrition appears to have expired in June, she has since had 3 prescriptions delivered to our home and just left with her, they never ask for anything.

She was going to have another delivery today but phoned to ask about her certificatre (which is when we noticed it had expired)

Is she likely to get a fine for this and could it be a fine for each time she had a delivery?

tacpot12

She  is likely to get a fine, and it is also likely that she will get a fine per delivery. She might avoid one of the fines if she calls this number (0300 330 1341) and asks for a new prepayment certificate to start on 15th August (The NHS BSA website says the certificates can only be back dated by one month, but you can ask if they can do it for more than this). Obviously if she didn't have a delivery in the last month, starting the certificate early will not provide any benefit and she might at well start it from today. 

You can pay for certificates by Direct Debit, This might ensure the situation doesn't occur again.

She can appeal against the fines, but "forgetting" is unlikely to be adequate. If she was ill, or has been in hospital, you should let them know as this might be.    

photome

I would say it is unlikely she will get a fine, they dont check all  prescriptions, there isnt the manpower

UKSBD

Looks like it's not as bad as I thought, she only has one item so it's only about £47 fine and she only had 2 deliveries within that time frame.

Frightening though, imagine what it is like for people who have multiple items and don't notice for months.

Ticking the box on the prescription makes you think about it, but when you just have a delivery to the door and no one asks anything makes it easier to not notice.

calleyw

It seems to be random.  I know someone who gets a 5 year exemption and it was still in date by a year and they still got a letter to say they being fined for not paying for a prescription.  So proves they don't even bother to check if exemption or pre paid certificate is valid!!!!

Jonty6262

It's not a "fine" it's a PCN

JJ_Egan

The not a fine increases if not paid within xx time frame .It can of course be challenged .

Sandtree

calleyw said:

It seems to be random.  I know someone who gets a 5 year exemption and it was still in date by a year and they still got a letter to say they being fined for not paying for a prescription.  So proves they don't even bother to check if exemption or pre paid certificate is valid!!!!

I have medical exemption, and unless the criteria change will do so for life but still have to renew the cert every 5 years. I know I've gone over the expiry of mine before, by a couple of years in one case, and never heard anything. That said I was paying for prescriptions for even more years before anyone told me my congenital condition meant I qualified for exemption. 

calleyw

Sandtree said:

calleyw said:

It seems to be random.  I know someone who gets a 5 year exemption and it was still in date by a year and they still got a letter to say they being fined for not paying for a prescription.  So proves they don't even bother to check if exemption or pre paid certificate is valid!!!!

I have medical exemption, and unless the criteria change will do so for life but still have to renew the cert every 5 years. I know I've gone over the expiry of mine before, by a couple of years in one case, and never heard anything. That said I was paying for prescriptions for even more years before anyone told me my congenital condition meant I qualified for exemption. 

Yes they are normally for life time conditions but you still need to renew the certificate every 5 years.  Its a bit like a zero tax rated car.  It still needs to have car tax renewed every year.  If you don't you can get your car clamped.  Guessing if you don't have a valid current certificate they can charge you for for any prescription you have had.  My local pharmacy like to have evidence and wont dispense the prescription with out it.   

Sandtree

calleyw said:

Sandtree said:

calleyw said:

It seems to be random.  I know someone who gets a 5 year exemption and it was still in date by a year and they still got a letter to say they being fined for not paying for a prescription.  So proves they don't even bother to check if exemption or pre paid certificate is valid!!!!

I have medical exemption, and unless the criteria change will do so for life but still have to renew the cert every 5 years. I know I've gone over the expiry of mine before, by a couple of years in one case, and never heard anything. That said I was paying for prescriptions for even more years before anyone told me my congenital condition meant I qualified for exemption. 

Yes they are normally for life time conditions but you still need to renew the certificate every 5 years.  Its a bit like a zero tax rated car.  It still needs to have car tax renewed every year.  If you don't you can get your car clamped.  Guessing if you don't have a valid current certificate they can charge you for for any prescription you have had.  My local pharmacy like to have evidence and wont dispense the prescription with out it.   

In light of this conversation, double checked and mine ran out two years ago ... which is odd as I am certain it was this surgery that initially said it was billable private work to get the doctor to sign the form but must have been the last one. 

I cannot remember the last time I even saw our prescriptions... the pharmacy know us well and they sign it themselves. They did ask to see the cert the first time to "put it on record" but never asked again.

UKSBD

Sandtree said:

In light of this conversation, double checked and mine ran out two years ago ... which is odd as I am certain it was this surgery that initially said it was billable private work to get the doctor to sign the form but must have been the last one. 

I cannot remember the last time I even saw our prescriptions... the pharmacy know us well and they sign it themselves. They did ask to see the cert the first time to "put it on record" but never asked again.

That could be expensive, it's up to £100 per prescription, If you have been having a prescription with 2 or more items on it every month for a couple of years you could get around a £2,500 penalty.