chemist charged double for 1 prescription

Jolaaled

I'm mad...really mad!!!

When the lovely doc prescribed my HRT patches, i told her i was short of money. She reassured me that my 3 month supply of HRT patches would cost £6.00 odd..the cost of one item on my prescription.

However, nasty pharmacist in chemist tells me different: he wants to charge me double, as the box of patches are of 2 types, (and i have to swap patches every fortnight).

I checked back with the doctor, who told me that the chemist is wrong and to try another one. So i trucked off to Boots..but they also want to charge me double.

any ideas, anyone, on how to just pay the single prescription charge??

thanks all.

moneysaving_pharmacist

Have you considered the possibility that your doctor is wrong? Pharmacists spend all day dealing with prescription charges and although we do sometimes make mistakes it's more likely to be by undercharging the patient.

There are some HRT products where there are two prescription charges payable. This is because the product contains two lots of tablets/patches with two different drugs. So Elleste-Duet contains estradiol tablets and estradiol & norethisterone tablets and two charges are payable. Estracombi contains estradiol patches and estradiol & norethisterone patches, so again two charges are payable.

The charging system doesn't always make a lot of sense, but we just have to follow what the government tells us. If a pharmacy only takes one charge when two are due then the other charge is deducted from our income.

Bunny

my mum used to have to pay 2 prescription charges for her HRT patches

Toothsmith

2 items = 2 charges.

I'm sure your Dr is wrong.

Jolaaled

Hmmm...looks like Doc was wrong after all, then. Guess i'll just have to pay up!

thanks for your replies, everyone. Much appreciated.

Stephb1986_2

ive had 2 items on my prescriptions before and only been charged the 6 quid odd try asda thats where i got mine from

Stephb xx

FluffyFiFi

Just come back from seeing the doctor who just prescribed me HRT. Charged for two prescriptions and feel very hard done by. Why do we have to pay anything for them, it seems unfair that as a woman we have to pay for so many things that our necessary, such as tampons, liners and towels. Now I have to pay for tablets to regulate my hormones. And the Chemist pointed out that having a daughter will mean paying for all her things as well. Feel thoroughly depressed about the whole thing - but that could just be my hormones.

Toothsmith

I poo and have to buy toilet roll - how unfair is that!!

Surely they can close a hospital or three so everyone can wipe their bottom at the taxpayers expense?

melancholly

Toothsmith wrote: »

I poo and have to by toilet roll - how unfair is that!!

Surely they can close a hospital or three so everyone can wipe their bottom at the taxpayers expense?

but it's only recently that they have cut the VAT on tampons as they used to be considered a 'luxury' item (whereas men's razors weren't!). that was really quite ridiculous! i'm not suggesting cutting other areas to subsidise things, but i do feel that a lot of men are blissfully unaware of how much the effects of being a women with hormone cycles really adds up to!

(and women go through much more loo roll than men anyway )

FluffyFiFi

Toothsmith wrote: »

I poo and have to buy toilet roll - how unfair is that!!

Surely they can close a hospital or three so everyone can wipe their bottom at the taxpayers expense?

We all have to poo and buy toilet roll, we don't all have to buy other products to make life comfortable just because we happen to be female, my point is that it is difficult to pay for items that we really don't have much choice about. Yes we can choose what products we have to buy, but we still have to buy a product and each month this costs money. Now I am told by my doctor that my hormones are all out of sinc because of my time of life and I need to take drugs to rectify this. I don't have to of course, but if I don't I am going to carry on being an emotional wreck, bad tempered and unreasonable as well as waking up throughout the night as I am so hot. I just think that if the pill is free it would be fair to make HRT free too.

Toothsmith

I completely understand where you're coming from.

The great problem we have in this country though is the belief that anything to do with our healthcare is 'free'.

It isn't.

It has a cost, and that cost is subsidised to a lesser, but more often greater, extent by the taxpayer.

I really am sorry you're having a crappy time at the moment.

We have an NHS system that will treat you at a fraction of the cost of the drugs you need, with no charges for the professional services of the people you see along the way. ( Unless it's a dentist!!)

There is not a bottomless pit of money to pay for it all. The problem is, the big shed of money that there is, is in the hands of people who need to be elected.

And boy - do they need to be elected.

Being elected is their whole reason for being.

Not to 'do good work' or 'improve people's lives' or the rest of the bull. They are just complete egomaniacs who have to 'retain their seat'.

They promise you whatever you would like. They perpetuate the myth that 'healthcare is free', and that whatever is wrong with you, you have a right to have it fixed.

Especially if there are lots of votes in it.

If it's just a minority thing, especially if it's a minority who can't vote - like - say children who look after disabled parents. Hey - no money for that, let the kids live in virtual slavery.

IVF on the NHS though - heyyyy sexy!! Votes in that... Have some money.

Sorry for that - but sometimes I can get a bit emotional too.

Be thankful for what you have - it's more than most.