Private prescriptions

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81892045#Comment_81892045

I must have rang 15 pharmacies today since realising as a result of this thread that private prescriptions vary in price between different pharmacies and each one was answered and my query dealt with, this included Boots. You must just be unlucky.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81893297#Comment_81893297

How did the prices vary? Was it a worthwhile exercise?

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81893573#Comment_81893573

The most expensive for 2 months worth of medication was £425, the cheapest was £98.68 so yes definitely worthwhile. I couldn't quite believe it.

One pharmacy I rang, the lady that answered didn't have much of a clue unfortunately and said it would be the NHS price of £9.90, I wish, I questioned it and said I didn't think she was right and she said to ring in on Monday and speak to the pharmacist lol.

modestbasin

Well the NHS has come through to bail out the private sector; my GP has put their neck on the line and trusted me. For which I am immensely grateful.

Thank you for the NHS pre-pay tip, that's already saved its cost.

For those that care, the price the NHS pays (for some values of "pay") is on the NICE website and there's sometimes considerable variation between suppliers. You can get a good feel for what you're likely to be charged, depending on whether your pharmacy is able to get stock from the cheaper suppliers. Some of my meds are 60p per 28, some are £10 - £40 and £90 online.

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81897879#Comment_81897879

Can you explain how you got private prescriptions transferred to the NHS please, was this a shared care agreement that your particular GP practice agreed to.

modestbasin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81898163#Comment_81898163

Short answer - the surgeon wrote to the GP with a recommendation and I nagged the GP until they did it. The reason I'm so grateful to the GP is that the most recent surgeon's letter was sent Royal Mail and didn't arrive, so they had to trust me to tell them what was in it.

Long answer. When the consultant started making unhappy noises I asked for a GP appointment. The GP response was "why are you telling me?" and my reply was "because I wanted your opinion and I expect there will be post-op support needed" (*), to which the GP responded "we won't do that, all we'll do is support with any medicines that need prescribing". True to their word the GP has deflected all post-op queries to A&E but has supported with the prescribing.

(*) I should also have said "and this is a condition you've been monitoring for the last 30 years, how was it allowed to develop to this state?" but didn't.

I understand this is entirely normal. The nurses on the ward were encouraging patients nearing discharge to ring their GP and get meds sorted, certainly the bed next to me was actually able to get through on the phone and talk to his GP. I wasn't, GP phone line wanted me to call 111 and their website kept telling me to call an ambulance, much to the amusement of the nurses (until the frustration of going round in circles set my monitor alarms off, then they bundled me back to bed).

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81900303#Comment_81900303

Thank you for sharing this. It's obviously clear that the GP was happy to agree to a shared care agreement with your private provider, many GPs don't so you've been lucky in that respect. Our GPs are a ****** nightmare (insert expletive to suit).