Prescription For Child Denied - Told to spend £20

[SuperFluity]

Hello, new joiner here! My GP has just assessed my DD as needing Cetirizine and Piriton day and night for the next two weeks to deal with an allergic reaction.

I was told I had to pay for the medicine myself and the GP would not provide a prescription. I said that would need 4 bottles of medication to cover the period and cost £20 and that we should not be expected to pay £20.

I absolutely understand that prescribing aspirin and paracetamol should be banned. But what do you all think about the situation above? Is this normal? Am I being unreasonable to expect a prescription in this instance?

Thank you!

[Turkeycondundrum]

Yes, I think so. Sorry.

[FinallyFree123456789]

Our gp doesn't provide them.
They tell us to go and buy over the counter / generic versions which cost a lot less.

Think all gps do this now

[mrsnoon]

30 cetirizine for £1 in Poundland. Find out what the active ingredient is in Piriton and buy the generic as well. Save yourself (and the cash-strapped NHS) a ton of money.

[Sugarhunnyicedtea]

Yes YABU
A prescription for piriton would cost the nhs far more than £20.

[WrongKindOfFace]

Actually, I don’t think you are being unreasonable. Many people wouldn’t be able to find £20 at the drop of a hat which is why children receive free prescriptions.

Plus schools won’t administer otc meds.

[Aragog]

Do they do non branded versions you can get? They might be cheaper perhaps?

[Aragog]

Piriton is chlorphenamine

[WrongKindOfFace]

I mean, I would probably buy it myself if I could afford it, but there shouldn’t be a blanket ban.

[Redken24]

Pharmacy non branded or boots own is cheap

[ohwownosnow]

You are absolutely BU, sorry. It would cost far more for the NHS to fund it. My GP tried to prescribe me some hydrocortisone, I told him I would buy it OTC and his eyes lit up. He was so used to people demanding prescriptions. YADBU

[Bumblebee39]

Some Boots offer a scheme for these kind of medicines if you meet certain criteria. Worth finding out if your local branch do and whether or not you meet the criteria x

[ZenNudist]

I usually just buy things like this.

[pootleposeyperkin]

You can buy them in Aldi for less than a quid

[Frogqueen13]

Pound shop sell cetrizine and chlorphenamine for £1 per bottle....

[Hiphopopotamous]

Buy unbranded cetirizine and chlorphenamine. Literally pennies in a supermarket.

We all need to do our bit to keep the NHS afloat. It will cost you a lot more than £20 when it's all privatised in the future!

[ShatnersBassoon]

I don't know if it's the norm, but it should be. You can buy those things for very little.

[myhamsteratefreddiestarr]

YANBU. If it’s needed for two weeks they should prescribe it. I can see they can’t keep giving away Calpol etc and I’ve always paid for it but my friend used to demand it, but something like this is different.

What if you couldn’t afford it? Your child would then suffer without the medication.

I agree to look for cheaper versions though, if you do have to pay for it.

[Hiphopopotamous]

(My DC has eczema and I buy their creams OTC myself. I think if something is available patients should buy it themselves if possible)

[poppingalf]

Unbranded is literally the same thing. You can check by the codes it was on moneysavingexpert on this morning or something I think

[potatoscone]

Why should you not be expected to pay?

[PinkDaffodil2]

Quite standard now for short courses of over the counter medications. It costs the NHS much more than £20 to prescribe. Depending on your child’s age and the dose needed you could see if there are any tablets which would do the trick as they’re much cheaper - the pharmacist can advise you if they can be crushed or halved if needed.

[Youmadorwhat]

Yabu!!
Just buy it yourself!Count yourself lucky you don’t live in Ireland, you would’ve had to pay the doctor in the first place!! If child is over 6 you pay for the doc visit AND the prescription charge AND the meds 😭

[WrongKindOfFace]

I wouldn’t recommend buying adult medication and giving it to a child without medical/pharmacy advice.

[Eminybob]

(My DC has eczema and I buy their creams OTC myself. I think if something is available patients should buy it themselves if possible)

I do this too for ds’s eczema, but actually pharmacys won’t sell it otc for a child. They insist on a prescription. So I therefore now say it’s for me.

[Eminybob]

^ that is for hydrocortisone btw