Prescription Charges- Anything I can do??

MobileAddict

Hi there,

I'm havin a bit of an issue. I'm experiencing a few issues at the moment with regards to my health and my doctors/s have been prescribing different tablets to try and make me feel a bit better.

Anyway, the longshot is is that whilst I am trying out all these tablets, they are costing me a fortune and they aren't working! So, I wondered if there is anything that can be done about that to claim it back or trade them in?!

I know there probably isn't anything that can be done about it, but in the meantime, its costing me a fortune whilst I am effectively being a guinea pig!

Any help gratefully received.....

Nomad25

You can buy a pre-payment card at your chemist. Costs vary according to where you are [NI/Wales/England], but think about £40/50 for annual or you can get 6 monthly ones. Once you have this you present it at chemist every time you go to get a prescription made up [regardless of number of items] and don't pay anything else for your prescriptions during that 6 months/year.

MobileAddict

Yeah, I know about these pre-pay things, but I didn't realise I was going to get so many different drugs over the past couple of weeks. Can it be back dated?!!!?

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

do you by any chance live near wales? I have a feeling that their charges are different to ours?

purpleivy

I think the prepayment card is nearer £100! I went with it when I found out that HRT counts as 2 prescriptions and the one prescribed wasn't necessarily going to be the right one for me, plus I was on something else as well.

ClaireLR

You can get a prepayment card for 3 months as well.

My dad has a 3 month one every 6 months, and stocks up when he has the card so that he doesn't need to get anything in the next 6 months, making it even cheaper!

I'm sure he said the card was around £35 for 3 months. As soon as you apply for it in the chemist you can then stop paying for prescriptions as they give you a number so you dont have to wait for the actual card to come through.

HTH

Skint_Catt

Desperate_Housewife wrote: »

do you by any chance live near wales? I have a feeling that their charges are different to ours?

Only if your Dr is registered in Wales - otherwise we'd all be over the border getting free prescriptions!

How about having a word with your Dr about the cost of all this - he might be able to suggest something?

Jem8472

I read in the local paper last night that if you are on less than £15,500(ish) then you can get free perscriptons. Its something to do with tax credits. NOt sure if I got the wrong end of the stick. But might be worth looking into.

ivyleaf

An annual PPC now costs £102.50:eek: :eek: :eek: It still saves me money over the year though.

OP, I don't think a PPC can be backdated but there's an email address on www.ppa.org.uk, so you could check with them. It does seem unfair to have to pay for medicines that haven't helped you, but as far as I know, you won't be able to get a refund - hope I'm wrong though.

beemuzed

I think it can be backdated up to one month - I'm sure my last one was!

Nomad25

I had the experience of trying different stuff, before getting to one that worked [and paid the full single price each time!], I tried to GIVE them back to the chemist, who told me they would be binned. It's all to do with toerags contaminating the stuff, so they can't risk it. Terribly waste of money.