It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Wednesday2000

I get free prescriptions for all medications as I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a few years ago. It does seem slightly unfair as I can obviously afford to pay for my medications. Saying that Levothyroxine is about the only med I take these days. I did get Naproxen last year when I fell over and hurt my shoulder.

Flugelhorn

No-one is "paying for prescriptions" - it is just a  standard admin fee really. The fee is the same whatever the medication, whether it costs 30p or £300.

Pollycat

Flugelhorn said:

No-one is "paying for prescriptions" - it is just a  standard admin fee really. The fee is the same whatever the medication, whether it costs 30p or £300.

You are paying for the prescription i.e. the script that the GP writes.
That is different to the cost of the medication you have been prescribed.

QueenJess

I was confused when I wasn’t charged for my prescription last week. I had to specifically ask to pay for it. Turns out they had my pregnancy exemption logged in the system still, but my daughter is nearly 2 so it ran out about a year ago!

greent

I would rather be in the position where I had to pay for my prescriptions on an as needed basis (which were always hugely infrequent until I had HRT for 4 years) than be in the position I'm in with an exemption certificate due to a cancer diagnosis. My husband has an exemption due to diabetes (family history of it) 

As those stats showed, whilst the majority of people are still required to pay, the majority of prescriptions are dispensed to those who have exemptions - which makes total sense - medical conditions or age often brings with it an increased need for prescription meds.

I never begrudged paying. I do, however, think that the UK should have the same system throughout.

zaxdog

Healthcare is devolved in Scotland and as far as I know the "admin fee" cost more to process than just making the prescriptions free nationwide. Think it's partly due to a more left leaning population:-)

The alternative fuel payment came in for us this month and 90kg of ovoids were delivered today. We are building quite a stack of driftwood and it's being piled up for next winter as it can't go straight into the stove. Hopefully we'll have enough to eke out the bought in fuel next winter. 

Casserole in the slow cooker with cheap veg for tonight and will make Mr Z his weekly "junk" lunch when he gets home from work: fishfingers, chips and spaghetti hoops. Honest he's 44 not 4!!!!!

EssexHebridean

Did the weekly shop this morning - halloumi from £1.99 a couple of weeks ago to £2.09 now, the soft citrus that used to be 69p now seems to have settled at 99p, and there are still no sign of the return of the value mushrooms. A definite shortage of tomatoes and peppers - there were a few bags of value peppers but they were mostly green so I gave those a miss, and on the tomato front I could have had Spanish salad ones (no ta) or Finest expensive cherry toms  so skipped those too - if we happen to wander past Al’s tomorrow I’ll see if they have anything. I did get courgettes - although there wasn’t the usual choice, thry had the loose ones I’d usually go for though so all good!

Flugelhorn

Pollycat said:

Flugelhorn said:

No-one is "paying for prescriptions" - it is just a  standard admin fee really. The fee is the same whatever the medication, whether it costs 30p or £300.

You are paying for the prescription i.e. the script that the GP writes.
That is different to the cost of the medication you have been prescribed.

not really - the prescription would cost a lot more than that and you only pay when you get the item dispensed.- you are really paying for the dispensing of each item. Worked as a GP in a dispensing surgery for years - used to get people saying that they didn't have to pay, if we let them get away with it we had to pay the fee instead, it was deducted from the practice account by the prescription pricing authority each month.  We got paid approx  £2 per item we dispensed 

YorksLass

@Floss - No, it wasn't me!  I may have mentioned I buy packs of cooking bacon from Sainsburys (don't have a HB near me) but I'm glad you enjoyed what you got!  

Today I've made a chunky vegetable soup to use up some chicken stock that was in the fridge; will be having some soon and there'll be enough left over for a lunch during the week.  I've devised a meal plan for the coming week (despite not feeling inspired) and don't need too much shopping for any of it as I'm still using existing stocks.  Tomorrow I'll do a grocery order for delivery on Tuesday - it remains to be seen what actually arrives!  I've £32 left in this month's grocery budget so will be trying to keep the order as small as I can.  It's mainly dairy and F&V that I need with a few cupboard staples thrown in - with today's prices I doubt there'll be much cash left over!

elsien

Another load of soup made with free veg from OLIO. Two days worth of vegetable curry with some 10p veg from Asda and some free  Naan bread. And some corn fed free range chicken from the yellow sticker aisle - Half price which is fine by me if it’s good quality meat.

Slightly offset by the fact that I have gone completely mad in the charity shop. Because “it was a bargain”.
A cotton traders insulated lunch bag which I did actually need. A cardigan which I could probably have done without but will do for work. And a handbag that  I didn’t need it just kind of ended up in my hand anyway
Although they did have a lovely old chest for £65 so I’m now strolling round the house trying to work out if there’s anywhere I could put it. Safe in the knowledge that I haven’t unless I move house.