Home Health & Wellbeing
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

Paying for medication

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
After reading the thread on price of the pill, i wondered if anyone knew if you have to pay for asthma medication. Coz i live in wales i currently dont have to pay for them untill i am 25, but after that will i have to pay?

I am on 3 different inhalers and tablets everyday, so I am worried that this is going to work out quite costly if I do have to pay, any comment appricated, thanks

x Emz x

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Isn't there a set price for prescriptions? :chin: Not sure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have asthma and have to pay for my prescription. (In England, if you are over 18 and not in full time education you have to pay for prescriptions, tho some other exeptions apply). I understand that if you get a certain amount of prescriptions a year, you can buy a pre-payment certificate at a set amount and that covers all your prescriptions. Your local chemist will be able to tell you about this, or your doctor when you next see them.
    This http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/ppc_faq.htm gives you some information about pre-payments certificates.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lu_C wrote:
    Isn't there a set price for prescriptions? :chin: Not sure.

    :yes:

    it's £6.65 per item, but the pre-payment things mentioned in the post above work out a lot more reasonable if you take regular medication.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Certainly in England you'd have to pay for it, standard NHS charge of £6.65 for each 'item' but an item can be 3 months supply of tablets or 3 months supply of one type of inhaler. If you will be paying for more than 5 items in 4 months, or more than 13 items in a year, you can get prepayment certificates which are a bit like season tickets. You pay once for the certficate and then the rest of your prescriptions are free.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks, im just glad i live in wales so i have a few more years yet. just got me thinking
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Can anyone tell me the chronic conditions that allow payment exemption certificates?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Found this, should answer the question, summary is that really very very few conditions get you free prescriptions.

    PEOPLE WITH A SPECIFIED MEDICAL
    CONDITION
    You can get free:
    • NHS prescriptions if you have a valid
    medical exemption certificate
    because you have:
    – a permanent fistula (for example,
    caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy
    or ileostomy) requiring
    continuous surgical dressing or
    requiring an appliance
    – a form of hypoadrenalism (for
    example, Addison’s Disease) for
    which specific substitution therapy
    is essential
    – diabetes insipidus and other forms
    of hypopituitarism
    – diabetes mellitus, except where
    treatment is by diet alone
    – hypoparathyroidism
    – myasthenia gravis
    – myxoedema (that is,
    hypothyroidism requiring thyroid
    hormone replacement)
    – epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive
    therapy
    – you have a continuing physical
    disability which means you cannot
    go out without the help of
    another person.
    NOTE: We ask doctors to advise you
    about free prescriptions, but it is up to
    you to find out if you are entitled or
    not. Only the conditions listed count. If
    you are unsure about the name of your
    condition, check with your doctor.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When i was at clinic the other day i looked up all the drugs i'm on.

    £25,000+ a year to keep me alive and sane :eek:

    ETA Free scrips from your local G.U.M. clinic :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, the only thing that isn't on there is STI treatment from a GUM clinic.

    And if you're are £25,000 a year, you make me feel better about my expensive dressings!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can also get thrush treatment for free from sexual health clinics :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i get my prescriptions for free as someone with diabetes and i am truley grateful for this. i have had diabetes for nearly 20 years and i shudder to think what i would have paid out for medication that includes blood testing strips, urine testing strips, insulin, lancets, pens, needles, hypo gel, glucose injections etc etc
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    RubberSkin wrote:
    £25,000+ a year to keep me alive and sane :eek:

    Worth noting then that your PCT gets about £1500 per year to look after you - and that includes fixed costs like GPs/A&E/Ambulance etc
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote:
    You can also get thrush treatment for free from sexual health clinics :yes:

    MoK might be able to know if this is true or not, but i think there's an old piece of legislation that says all medication from a GUM is free, something from the 1800's and the rid of syphillis. I used to get anti emetics, anti poo and omega 3 tablets from GUM clinic for nothing. We have 'special' scrips which are basically large books with forms in so pharmacy know not to charge us.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's all medication to treat STIs from a GUM clinic is free. The definition of STIs for this purpose is pretty broad.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's also because you don't have to give your real name and a prescription needs that...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Anything from a GUM clinic is free.

    I took in a GUM script at work the other day prescribing sleeping pills!
Sign In or Register to comment.