prescription charges annual certificate

System

For people who need prescriptions every month ,ask your doc to give you one prescripton to cover 2-3 months ,therefore saving dosh .

Savvy_Sue

Prepayment forms
Preypayment forms are just like bus passes and enable you to claim free prescriptions for a certain amount of time. The forms are available from your local chemist and you can either fill it in or phone up.

If only it were that simple!

Yesterday I went into the Lloyds Pharmacy near where I work. The pharmacist said no, I couldn't get a form there, I would have to go to the PO.

There isn't a PO near work, so I tried to drive home to my local PO and chemist. Didn't make it before closing time, so today I went to main PO. Horrendous queue, but I found the leaflet stand and was about to go on my way rejoicing when I realised that the slot labelled 'DOH Prescriptions' was in fact full of cards on which to save stamps towards my car tax ...

Fortunately there's a 'Philately and Gifts' counter, so I craftily asked them whether there would be forms behind the counter if they didn't have any in the leaflet holder. They phoned across the room and told me that no, there weren't any such leaflets available because they were no longer available from POs, I would have to go the chemist and ask for the phone no. of the local Health Authority.

I sped off to Boots, somewhat irritated at being given the run around by Lloyds and the PO, and was immediately given a form. I asked about the official receipt I'd need if I wanted to backdate the PPC, and the pharmacist showed me what to do on the application form to do that.

He also told me that in some places you can buy PPCs at the pharmacy, but not everywhere, and not in Bristol. They are no longer issued by the Health Authority, so the PO was wrong about that too.

Savvy_Sue

I think some of the respondents to this subject should re-consider where they obtain their prescriptions from.
<snip>
It would appear that those who missed out simply went to the wrong pharmacy where patient care was not high on the agenda.

Counsel of perfection, Alastair!

You don't always know what the patient care is like until it's too late, for one thing. And sometimes it's just difficult to get to a 'good' pharmacy within the time available.

Absolute classic with my son, btw. With hindsight I should have left him in the car while I went to get some antibiotics for him (he's big enough to make that a safe option). He had his trouser leg and shirt sleeve rolled up to display a very messy leg and elbow. Assistant - who I know slightly - said to son "What's wrong with you then?" Me: "You don't want to know." Her: "Did you fall off your bike then?" Me: "You really don't want to know."

It was very tempting to announce to a shop full of old ladies that my son had impetigo mixed with eczema, but I refrained.

Ted_Hutchinson

You can order and pay for your Prescription Pre-payment Certificates (PPCs) online here

https://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/ppc/do/PatientOrderPage

System

Re: Welsh prescription charges. You are at liberty to take an NHS prescription from England to Wales if you wish (or vice versa), so you can get your "English" prescription dispensed cheaper in Wales than in England (£6 compared to £6.40 at present). It does not matter where you live, nor which doctor has signed the prescription. If you are under 25 you can have the prescription free in Wales (again, it doesn't matter where you/the prescription come from). However, it costs nearly a fiver to cross the Severn Bridge!

max2002ad

Just a quick response to Savvy Sue.

I am sorry to hear that you didn't receive good service from your local pharmacy.
I have worked for lloyds for 8 years and i and the people i work with do try to help as much as possible.
However it's not always possible when it's very busy or the request isn't very clear.
A New leaftlet has recently come out that details many of the possible ways of getting help with health costs, Such as tax credits, exemption certs etc.
The leaflet is called "Help with Health Costs - A Quick Guide".
We keep them in stock and i know that the our local Gp's have them too.
However they are quite new so you may not be able to find them every where.
There is a phone number you can phone for further information and advice about saving on prescriptions.

The Number is 0845 850 1166.
Sorry i don't know what the non 0845 number is.

Hope this helps some people out there

Max
Ps if anyone needs further clarification on what i have in any message either reply or send me a message.

System

they appear to have computerised the prepayment system now. i get a little credit card sized certificate to say i've paid up to a certain date (much better than the paper certificates because you have to show it to the pharmacist and you can keep a credit card sized one with you at all times whereas i was always losing or forgetting the old paper one).

a couple of weeks before my certificate is due to run out i get a reminder letter, with the option of renewing my certificate by post. you can choose your date for renewal, so i always renew all of my prescriptions just before it runs out, then wait until i need another prescription before renewing it. i can stockpile my medicines and wait a month or two before getting more, so i only buy two 4-month certificates per year. i pay £33.40 for each certificate.

in the past i've picked up a new prescription, ticked to say i have a certificate then gone home and posted my renewal letter asking for it to be renewed from that day onwards. you tell the pharmacist your certificate is being renewed and you haven't received it yet. she marks the prescription to say that she hasn't seen any evidence of your certificate, then the powers that be can check up on you if they want to, and if they do then the records will show that you were covered for that date.

filigree_2

The DSE regs state that your employers only have to provide free glasses if they are exclusively for your work. For folks with good eyesight, glasses are not necessary anyway. About 5% of specs wearers will have vision problems at the focal length of 18-24 inches ie the usual distance from eye to monitor. The vast majority of specs wearers are like me - our ordinary everyday glasses are fine for computer use. Your employers are only supposed to fund your out of pocket optical expenses which arise specifically from the work you are required to do.

Some employers might be more generous but as the rules stand, very few employees qualify for free specs. Put your cynical consumer hats on for a moment - do you really think any government would pass a law guaranteeing free glasses for the masses?! ::)

mutley74

what is the approx money (profit) made by a pharmacist for a prescrition? Is it by item and is it by prescrition and is it a fixed fee, or dependant on the medicine dispensed and what price the NHS pay them and what price they sourced it at?

reason is, we submit every 2-3 weeks a huge order to a local pharmcist for our kids medicines, and when we have asked for a spare plastic spoon or syringe, then will not honour.

Sam_26

A pharmacist earns a mere 94.6p per item dispensed on a prescription. On top of that cost there is around 3p extra for the bag and spoon. They are reluctant to supply an oral syringe as these cost around 50p, which totally erodes any margin.

The other way they can make extra money is out of the difference in the NHS price and the price they buy the goods at. This currently is at an all time low, due to the NHS cottoning on to this and persistantly reducing their price in line.

Hope this helps on why they like spoons and blister packs and less stationary items save money

what is the approx money (profit) made by a pharmacist for a prescrition? Is it by item and is it by prescrition and is it a fixed fee, or dependant on the medicine dispensed and what price the NHS pay them and what price they sourced it at?

reason is, we submit every 2-3 weeks a huge order to a local pharmcist for our kids medicines, and when we have asked for a spare plastic spoon or syringe, then will not honour.