Asthmatics in England pay for prescriptions

I was such a kid. I don't pay for any asthma prescriptions anymore as I grew out of it.

This.

Part of the reasoning behind free prescriptions in Scotland, Wales and NI is that so many people don't pay prescription charges that it's cheaper for them to just all be free rather than the administration of a system to work out who does.

As a first aider in a school I’ve seen some serious asthma attacks, blue lighted to hospital a few times. Those kids are now adults and likely to be paying for prescriptions.
I have diabetes and asthma so don’t pay for any prescriptions (I’m over 60 now so don’t pay anyway).
I would pay for a prepayment certificate as it would be good value for all my meds but I’d be happy for asthmatics to get free prescriptions.

sorry, you already said that

I’m asthmatic and I’m quite happy to pay prescription fees. It’s a medicine for a chronic illness like many other chronic illnesses. I also take medicine because I have a non-working pancreas. It will never work again and I will take it for life. Should that be free too? When does it end?

I have the means to pay for my prescriptions and I’m grateful the NHS makes them so affordable. In my birth country, my asthma inhalers cost £50 each per month. The medicine for my pancreas costs £3000 per month (yes, you read that right!). There should be support for people who cannot afford to pay, but those of us who can should be contributing to the health of the NHS overall.

This is so sad, the thought of people endangering their lives because they can't afford life saving medication is so wrong.

And over 60*

The list of exemptions was created in 1968.

the only update that has been made since is when cancer patients were added in 2008/2009.

Most adults pay for prescriptions regardless don’t they? I thought only children and maternity were free?

I agree OP, although some children do grow out of asthma, my son did by the time he was 7.
I think the medical exemption certificates aren't well thought out. As soon as I went onto metformin all my medications were free, but I came off them later on as my sugars were good, this was through the diabetic nurse, so I informed the NHSBSA? and was told that as my medical exemption certificate had 3 years on it I could still use it. What a waste of money, surely I could have gone back to buying the yearly certificate?
I am now 60 so automatically excempt.

I get free prescriptions because I'm on thyroid medication.Always been surprised that its any medication that I'm prescribed that is included.Not complaining though!

Why are asthmatics a special breed? I say that as someone who had it bad as a child.

I don't think it's disgusting that anyone pays £114 a year for unlimited prescriptions when the rest of your care is free.

I can't think of many better bargains than every medication you could ever need for £10/month.

I'd like to have a model where everyone pays for their prescription. The prices would be kept sensible. But there would be annual annual payment ceiling so people with chronic health conditions wouldn't be charged insanely. And exemptions would he based on income instead of conditions or age.

It wasn’t made that long ago. About 20 years.

I took anti depressants then. I take them now.

Wales has free prescriptions like Scotland and I think NI does as well

It is strange. Free for diabetes, pay for asthma. And only in England, Scotland don't pay. Not sure about Wales?

Its disgusting that asthmatics have to pay for medication that makes them able to breathe and live a normal life.

People with depression have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

People with autoimmune conditions have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

People with life threatening allergies have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Both my DH and DS1 are diabetic and get free prescription, s Dh,is type 2 and Ds1 is type 3c treated as type 1 and insulin dependent I'm not sure why certain conditions get free prescription, s and others don't
But I'm very grateful we live in a country where I don't haven't worry about paying for my sons insulin, I'm on an American face book group for Diabtess ,and people ate using old insulin pens and reusing needles etc as they can't afford the prescription charges .

I believe the exemption list is based on if your needs something it should be producing, you are exempt.

The logic is that if you have a life threatening condition that was treatable in the 60s you are exempt. No condition has been added since. That is it.

I’m asthmatic and I have always paid for my prescriptions. That’s fine by me.

All adults should pay for all of their prescriptions. This would significantly increase much needed revenue for the NHS. The people who genuinely need their medications would be willing to pay for them, even if it meant they needed to deprioritise spending on other non-essentials and it would deter many of the malingerers with made up illnesses who are currently wasting NHS resources & taxpayers’ money.

Yes. That is the reason.

I was told the list was done a very long time ago before many current medications existed hence no mental health conditions on the list. The few that are named are things we had medications for in the 60's basically