The cost of Prescriptions

Fortunately prescriptions are free in Wales. I feel your pain, not good to pay so much on top of being ill. Take care x

I live in Ireland and pay €50 for a doctors appt. My migraine medication was over €50 a month for 6 tablets but I'm having fewer migraines these days so it's more like €50 every 3-4 months. (I used to get 12-18 tablets on prescription from the GP in England when I needed a new prescription). My friend pays the €144 maximum a month every month for prescriptions for her husband and it's a struggle as he's self employed and if he's too unwell, he can't work.
But on the positive side, at least I can get a GP appt. at short notice and they listen properly and never rush you.
My DH was unwell last week and I rang the surgery on Friday afternoon at 12.30pm and got him an appt. for 3.40pm that afternoon. (They close 1-2).
My husband will qualify for free prescriptions and GP appts. etc. from next year due to his age.
I had a hernia op two years ago here in Ireland. My GP referred me to a Consultant and the only fees I paid were for an overnight hospital stay of €85. I didn't pay any fees to see the Consultant.
Three years previously I was living in the U.K. and I was referred to a Consultant but due to budget cuts, I was told I'd only be added to his waiting list if I was suffering severe pain from the hernia or if it became strangulated and therefore, an emergency!
After living here in Ireland for about a year, I mentioned it to my GP (during a routine appt. for my migraine prescription) and he referred me straight away. It hadn't grown and I wasn't suffering any pain from it. The Consultant I saw was shocked that they'd refused to even add me to the waiting list in the UK.
It was through the public health system as we don't have private medical insurance.

I, too, have a prepayment certificate for which I pay just over £10 per month which isn't a lot really for someone working.
I really don't see why anyone who is fit enough to work shouldn't pay for their prescriptions in this manner. It is, however, ludicrous that someone over 60 (or anyone in Scotland it seems) who is earning enough to pay 40% tax gets theirs free.
I suppose the argument would be, as with the free school meals, it costs more to means test such things than it does to simply give out the benefit across the board but I for one would rather some more people were employed, and therefore pay tax and contribute to the economy, and do just that.

I pay for an annual prescription pre-payment certificate. I will be turning 60 this autumn though, so hopefully will be able to stop paying about £140-00 per year!
I've got a really bad dose of infected conjunctivitis at the moment and the anti-biotic eye drops which work best for me cost the NHS £29-00 for a tiny bottle. Therefore I asked my Dr not to prescribe them, but to use the ever so slightly less effective ones, which cost the NHS £2-93 instead! As my eyes flared up overnight Sat/Sun I spent £15-00 on pharmacist recommended drops and ointment on Sunday morning. The Minor Ailments Scheme would at one time have made those items 'free' on my Pre Payment certificate, but our local Health Authority have pared the illnesses treated under the scheme down to the absolute minimum, and are quite open about the fact that they didn't have the money available to do anything else!
I'm very glad that our Scottish and Welsh citizens get free prescriptions, but am totally, utterly and completely fed up that the English are being sh*t on from a great height by having to pay for ours?
A friend of mine lives in England, but is just two miles from the Welsh border. Her whole family are registered with a Dr in Wales, and as long as their prescriptions are filled by a pharmacist in Wales, they get them for free!
I'm not far from the English/Welsh border, but our GP practice is great, so I would never move to a Welsh GP just to save a few quid!
I can understand why some folk would though!

Because we have the likes of Theresa May at the helm...

I have a lifetime chronic illness if I didn't buy a pre bought prescription card at a cost £104.00 a year my cost for drugs would be in and around £600.00 a year that's without the one my hospital prescribes for me because my Gp flatly refuses to do so because of the expense. So yes I do get a bit angry that it's only England that has to pay. It's time what illnesses qualifying for free prescriptions is changed it needs bringing up to date

Hay ho.
What has this got to do with Theresa May!! this has been going on for years.

....and we got free prescriptions under previous labour governments did we HeyHo?

Of course we didn't.

Any excuse for a bit of Tory bashing!

Because DH is severely disabled, we've always been dependent on benefits, so thank goodness, never had to pay for prescriptions. Now Type 1 diabetic and over retirement age, so just a matter of which box to tivk!

Because DH is severely disabled, we've always been dependent on benefits, so thank goodness, never had to pay for prescriptions. Now Type 1 diabetic and over retirement age, so just a matter of which box to tick!

I understand you might think its "unfair" that things are different in Scotland but its just thats our budget is spent in a different way to the English NHS ,you need to lobby your MP about the things you dont like ,I'm sure there are things available in England that we dont have so its swings and roundabouts

Nothing to do with the Tories?
We used to pay the annual fee,worked out much cheaper as we both had lots of prescription medications.

Can you name anything paddyann ? not being awkward just curious?

I would hate to be missing out on something

There is a form called HC2 and if your on a low income of any kind you may get free prescriptions and eyecare. It's worth filling in.you can pick them up in libraries,opticians and some chemists

Actually me too paddyann, I've never known what you don't have in Scotland (free/subsidised) that we do in England?

I haven't paid for prescriptions for about ten plus years ( old gal) but I think the difference was you used to get more items per prescription so if you visited the doctor and needed three items they would all be written on the same script which was covered by the one fee I m presuming somewhere along the line it change to paying for three different prescriptions

Not the case these days BlueBelle I had 4 items all on the same script and had to pay for 4 items !

Saved a little bit money by purchasing a 3 month prepayment but not much.

Still wondering about the swings and roundabouts Paddyann

If you're clever, you might be able to stock pile a bit, then not buy another pre payment card immediately yours runs out. That way, you can manage to get a few free months per year in the gaps!

You've got me thinking Lillie and wondering if the GP would give me my HRT a couple of weeks early.

Can't exactly ask for an advance on antibiotics....

Very interesting (sometimes conflicting )views on this thread. I agree the postcode lottery for prescription charges makes a mockery of a United Kingdom.
Having lived in France for the last 7 years I am out of the mindset that a public health service can provide 100% state of the art , immediate medical cover without everyone paying more in taxes. Here we have to "top up" the state cover according to our ability and choice of services (low paid/ benefit receivers/ life-threatening / chronic conditions are covered 100%), but we receive EXCELLENT medical care. Same or next day GP appointments, specialist referrals in days or couple of weeks even for non-urgent conditions and operations within weeks. i.e. on a par with private treatment in the UK
This comes at a cost to the individual but in this day and age , unless people pay more throughout their working lives or enter a part private scheme, I cannot see how the NHS can deliver the high-tech service we all have come to expect.
On inception after the 2nd world war the NHS was never designed to encompass the sorts of conditions now supported: expensive drug treatments,(so few drugs were available then) IVF, transplant surgery, very premature baby care, intensive care units , ancillary services for mental health , care of the elderly, counselling etc - all of which are now available and necessary in our present society. I feel that our present expectations now outstrip what is possible on the present funding.
Either governments of any persuasion have to address the fact that the NHS is no longer fit for purpose and either provide far greater funding or totally redesign the system to include some additional input from individuals according to ability.
However, having read how many areas of the NHS have already been sold off to private companies, (several American) I fear that , after the UK leaves Europe America will swoop in and clean up the more profitable areas and things may become even worse.

Its good that we have free prescriptions no question about it. But I have seen much abuse of prescriptions where people of our generation go to their GP for supplies of something as ridiculous as Ibuprofen/aspirin....because its free! I use Ibuprofen and aspirin a lot for my condition and the Doctor always offers a prescription for them...I refuse and say no I will buy my own over the counter. My moral compass won't allow me to abuse the system. Before I retired I paid for my prescriptions. Drug companies charge the NHS exorbitant prices because they know they can and £8-£9 per item isn't much to pay for your health. We are very lucky here in the UK. Be thankful we are not in the US, most of us would be dead by now!

Be glad your not in the US I pay 900 dollars for a prescription that last me for three months.

Yes I am very grateful W11girl and Envious

I am very envious of where you live though Envious It would be my dream come true to visit Nashville as I have been a country music fan for as long as I can remember.

Maybe in my next life.