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Original poster

Feel gutted. Sick. Stupid. Prescription charges.

66 replies

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 17/10/2018 16:35

feel so upset. Life has been nothing but a struggle. We never have anything left at the end of the month, I've been ill and in constant agony. I've had to quit work due to my pain. We've never had a family holiday and dh is driving a 13 year old car. Yet I managed to scrimp the money for prescriptions (and sometimes went without the odd one because we simply couldn't afford all 6 at once). 8 bastard years I paid full price. Only last year did I invest in a prepayment certificate to help with the costs as it was suggested by a pharmacist who was shocked at the amount I had to pay. Not one GP or pharmacist ever told me I could get all my meds for free. We're not entitled to anything back. I spoke to a nice Geordie lad who was astonished and said it was a disgrace but they only backdate 3 months. Can't stop crying.Sad

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 17/10/2018 16:36

Why on earth didn't the pharmacist or the staff there recommend the prepayment certificate? That's very unfair.

Shitlandpony · 17/10/2018 16:38

Do you mean for free or buying a pre payment certificate?

DaisyDreaming · 17/10/2018 16:40

That’s hard, I knew of the £100 a year to cover all prescription cards and purchased it for the first 10 years when it turns out I was entitled to free prescription. The annoying thing was I heard I qualified, rang the official people and was told I didn’t so carried on paying for years before finding out that person is wrong! I hope the 3 months backpqck helps towards the cost of the card but sorry you have struggled when you didn’t have to if only you had been given the info :(

Bombardier25966 · 17/10/2018 16:41

Have you checked you're claiming anything you're entitled to, PIP and ESA? It doesn't make up for the previous cost, but will help for the future.

9GreenBottles · 17/10/2018 16:42

You're not stupid, but you have every right to feel absolutely sick to your stomach to find this out. So very sorry Flowers

Original poster
SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 17/10/2018 16:48

I was told to get a prepayment certificate which I did. The Geordie lad said the doctor should have told me. I don't think I've ever seen the same doctor more than twice. I guess that it's something that I no longer have to pay but just devastated that money is long gone.

OP posts:
Bombardier25966 · 17/10/2018 16:54

GPs don't usually advise on PPCs, they come under the pharmacy's remit. Even then they're not obliged to tell you.

It would be helpful if there was a standard message on the back of the prescription. May be worth mentioning to your MP if they're any use? To stop it happening to others in future.

Sirzy · 17/10/2018 16:56

How unfortunate

I am amazed there weren’t signs up in the pharmacy. Everyone we use has them

SneakyGremlins · 17/10/2018 16:57

We don't have signs here, I had someone on MN tell me about them so I buy one yearly now.

Heratnumber7 · 17/10/2018 16:58

I do feel for you OP, but did you never think to ask if people on low income can get help with prescriptions?

I thought it was common knowledge. Obviously not.

MadisonMontgomery · 17/10/2018 17:00

It isn’t your GP’s responsibility to advise you on prescription costs - information about them is widely available at pharmacies and online.

Tahani · 17/10/2018 17:01

i've seen signs at the GP and at the pharmacy

SauvignonBlanche · 17/10/2018 17:03

I wouldn’t really have expected the GP to discuss it but it’s really bad that the pharmacist didn’t. Shock Did you always use the same one?

It was a pharmacist who told me I could get mine for free. DD has a prepayment certificate and saves a fortune.

Annandale · 17/10/2018 17:03

The advice is really unreliable. Dh was told by a pharmacist that he definitely didn't have to pay - well, he did, and we were fined. Dh was humiliated and terrified. He was one of the most moral people you could imagine. Worse still, it's apparently an automatic process - we rang up to give the dates between which we'd fraudulently claimed free prescriptions and asked to be given all the fines at once but they said that couldn't be done and we just had to wait each month for the letter to come. Dh couldn't bear it. I'm not going to claim it made him kill himself but it might have been one of the strands of thinking that caused him to stop his medication, which caused the psychotic episode during which he took his own life.

I would advise anyone to check, check and check again. I'm really sorry this happened to you.

SauvignonBlanche · 17/10/2018 17:07

I’m so sorry to hear that @Annandale Sad Flowers

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 17/10/2018 17:13

I thought it was common knowledge. I'm in Scotland. We have free prescriptions but I knew about the prepayment card the English can get. I can't believe you didn't know and no I'm bothered to tell you.

pointythings · 17/10/2018 17:14

Our pharmacy doesn't have signs up, but the moment I started my blood pressure meds they told me about the prepayment certificate. All pharmacies should have them, or make it routine to talk about them.

BlardyBlar · 17/10/2018 17:23

You’re not stupid; you should have been told. And pain saps energy and concentration. Doubly important they keep you informed.

It’s shitty: horribly frustrating. But you have found out and from now on, things will be a little bit easier. You no longer have to go without your prescriptions and you no longer have to pay.

Good luck, I hope you get the help you need.

DaisyYellow · 17/10/2018 17:30

Going slightly off topic, if you can’t work because of pain, are you sure you aren’t eligible for PIP, or other benefits?

Saucery · 17/10/2018 17:38

Oh you poor thing, it must be so dispiriting. Have a good cry then tell yourself at least you know now and will be saving from now on.

MemoryOfSleep · 17/10/2018 17:39

I have never heard of them either, OP. Sorry you're having such a rough time. x Flowers

ShakeTheDisease · 17/10/2018 17:43

I know about them because the pharmacy told me once I became a regular customer collecting lots of items every month. If you were using one regularly and they didn't say, that's shoddy of them. There is no rule afaik but I'd feel they ought to have done.

@annadale that's truly awful. So sorry.

HundredMilesAnHour · 17/10/2018 17:46

Does no-one ever read the back of the prescription form that you sign?? Especially all the listed categories for when you don't pay such as 'prescribed free of charge contraceptives' or the key one for this thread 'has a valid pre-payment certificate'? Never think ooh what's a pre-payment certificate and google it? Then realise it's a good idea to get one if you get regular prescriptions?

WoollyMollyMonkey · 17/10/2018 17:48

No the GP won’t tell you about them, but I was lucky, the lady in the chemist told me. The staff on ours are lovely.

You can buy a prepayment card for around £100 or pay in monthly instalments, and it’s worth it if you have two or more items each month.

didyouseetheflaresinthesky · 17/10/2018 17:49

I can't believe they don't have the signs up. Our has them plastered all over the place, in the GP waiting room, the pharmacy, even stuck to the countertops.