Private Dental Prescriptions

Alfie2020

As with so many people now, family dentist went private not long after covid.  Same dentist, same practice just much more expensive. Despite searching everywhere, no local NHS practice.  Dentist is at the lower end of the private fee range.  Today my father needed an appointment and paid the fee as usual.  However, he needed some antibiotics.  This is the first time any of us have needed a prescription since they went private and therefore had no idea how it works.  We popped to the pharmacy close by and handed over the prescription (which appeared to be just printed out on a sheet of plain paper) and waited.  When the medication (simple amoxicillin) was handed over we were then charged £19.99.  I was gobsmacked but paid assuming this was the rate for a private prescription.  I popped into our local pharmacy for something else and asked how much they would have charged.  The answer was £10.  I then rang round quite a few pharmacies and the fee ranged from £9.90 (Superdrug) to £20 a pharmacy close to the initial one we went to.

I rang the pharmacy where we got the prescription and was told that there is no overall price, basically they can charge what they like.  In this case they match the nearest pharmacy to them.  I challenged them and they are going to partially refund the fee.  However, it leads me to believe that this is the wild west.  There was no sign up advising of the price and indeed I was told that they don't know the price until the prescription has been dispensed by which time they can't undo it.  So no option to go anywhere else.  Not one other pharmacy said that to me.  Akin to me filling my car up at a garage with no prices advertised, charging me what they like, and because I can't syphon out the petrol you are stuck.

Is there any regulation of these private dental prescriptions or can they just charge what they like?  My father is elderly and therefore gets his NHS medication free.  It strikes me that there is no transparency.  I feel that I need to raise this with someone but have no idea where to go.  We have not chosen to go private, we have no choice, therefore we are at the mercy of these businesses..  Can anyone advise me where I might be able to take this up.

sheramber

There is no regulation over the price of private prescriptions medication.

Like any business a pharmacy will set their own price. It will depend on their buying power and running expenses  for the business.

You can often buy medication online cheaper if you can wait for delivery. 

elsien

Except it’s clearly not true that they can’t tell you the price before they dispense, because you managed to find out prices from other pharmacies without having the medication dispensed.

Aylesbury_Duck

Alfie2020 said:

As with so many people now, family dentist went private not long after covid.  Same dentist, same practice just much more expensive. Despite searching everywhere, no local NHS practice.  Dentist is at the lower end of the private fee range.  Today my father needed an appointment and paid the fee as usual.  However, he needed some antibiotics.  This is the first time any of us have needed a prescription since they went private and therefore had no idea how it works.  We popped to the pharmacy close by and handed over the prescription (which appeared to be just printed out on a sheet of plain paper) and waited.  When the medication (simple amoxicillin) was handed over we were then charged £19.99.  I was gobsmacked but paid assuming this was the rate for a private prescription.  I popped into our local pharmacy for something else and asked how much they would have charged.  The answer was £10.  I then rang round quite a few pharmacies and the fee ranged from £9.90 (Superdrug) to £20 a pharmacy close to the initial one we went to.

I rang the pharmacy where we got the prescription and was told that there is no overall price, basically they can charge what they like.  In this case they match the nearest pharmacy to them.  I challenged them and they are going to partially refund the fee.  However, it leads me to believe that this is the wild west.  There was no sign up advising of the price and indeed I was told that they don't know the price until the prescription has been dispensed by which time they can't undo it.  So no option to go anywhere else.  Not one other pharmacy said that to me.  Akin to me filling my car up at a garage with no prices advertised, charging me what they like, and because I can't syphon out the petrol you are stuck.

Is there any regulation of these private dental prescriptions or can they just charge what they like?  My father is elderly and therefore gets his NHS medication free.  It strikes me that there is no transparency.  I feel that I need to raise this with someone but have no idea where to go.  We have not chosen to go private, we have no choice, therefore we are at the mercy of these businesses..  Can anyone advise me where I might be able to take this up.

I don't understand this bit.  How were you able to get prices from other pharmacies, without them dispensing?  What's unique about the pharmacy you went to where they don't know the price?  Where do they get the price from?

Beyond that, it's no more "wild west" than any other product type, whether that's privately-bought medication, bakes beans or houses.  The alternative is price-fixing.

flaneurs_lobster

I found out about the cost of private dental prescriptions similarly.

Prescription for 1 tube of high-fluoride toothpaste - cost at local pharmacy £16. Three tubes of identical product from online pharmacy £21.

Alfie2020

This is why I'm asking the question.  We are forced into this position (as are many others) and it's hard when you have a pension and already paid £52 for the dentist appointment (with another £200 to come to extract the tooth) and then overcharging.  I struggle with online shopping and deliveries here are very hit and miss.  In this case we needed the medication due to infection.  Saying they are price matching the nearest pharmacy to then is clearly price fixing and at a higher rate.  I rang round the other pharmacies but I agree how can they give out a price and the pharmacy we went to doesn't.  They didn't inform me there was a price (naive I know but haven't experienced this before) until they had dispensed and pushed the card machine under my nose.  Regardless to say I won't be going to that pharmacy again

littleboo

Any prescription, dental or otherwise, issued by a private practitioner is chargeable. 

flaneurs_lobster

littleboo said:

Any prescription, dental or otherwise, issued by a private practitioner is chargeable. 

Can be a bit of a shock to anyone living in Wales, NI or Scotland where all NHS prescriptions are free of course.

born_again

Alfie2020 said:

This is why I'm asking the question.  We are forced into this position (as are many others) and it's hard when you have a pension and already paid £52 for the dentist appointment (with another £200 to come to extract the tooth) and then overcharging.  I struggle with online shopping and deliveries here are very hit and miss.  In this case we needed the medication due to infection.  Saying they are price matching the nearest pharmacy to then is clearly price fixing and at a higher rate.  I rang round the other pharmacies but I agree how can they give out a price and the pharmacy we went to doesn't.  They didn't inform me there was a price (naive I know but haven't experienced this before) until they had dispensed and pushed the card machine under my nose.  Regardless to say I won't be going to that pharmacy again

Did you ask what the cost was going to be?

MyRealNameToo

The NHS will pay pharmacies up to 93p for 15 tablets of 500mg amoxicillin plus the £1.46 dispensing fee. 

When on private prescription firms can charge what they like but you also in principle get the option to choose brands etc. Online pharmacists can cheaper however many have an order fee in addition to the product fee so one large online pharmacist charges £1.96 for the meds but a £9.90 dispensing fee. They arent always though as some are charging over £30 for the same. 

flaneurs_lobster

MyRealNameToo said:

The NHS will pay pharmacies up to 93p for 15 tablets of 500mg amoxicillin plus the £1.46 dispensing fee. 

I hope a pharmacy gets some other recompense for dispensing NHS prescriptions in addition to these payments!

They'd be bust in a week if not.