Friend hasn’t paid prescription charges for 10 years - what will happen?

[Kat19899]

Please be kind, this was stupid but unintentional and now is beside herself and remorseful.
She was on JSA around 10 years ago and entitled to free prescriptions when she set up her delivery for repeat prescriptions from the local pharmacy. She became more ill and was out of work for a couple of years, didn’t receive JSA or any benefits during that time. However she forgot to tell the pharmacy she wasn’t entitled to free prescriptions anymore and I guess with the stress/depression of being ill and the pharmacy never querying it she just forgot about it. The other day she got a doctor’s prescription at an appointment, paid for the item at the pharmacy like normal and had the sudden realisation she has not paid for 4+ items per month for about 10 years!

She is beside herself, feels awful at costing the NHS money and very stressed that she will go to court and get a criminal record or jail time. Is this likely to happen?? What should she do? I think her options are to call/write a letter telling the truth and offering to pay in full (it would wipe out her savings but she has the money), tell the pharmacy she is no longer eligible and buy a prescription prepayment certificate and hope no one questions it, or say nothing and hope for the best.
She said she does her repeats online and they get sent to the pharmacy automatically. I’m confused about how this can go unnoticed for so long. She’s willing to fully pay but every time the post comes she thinks it’s going to be a court summons.

Although I am shocked the stories on here, and the amount of people who have been dined! The NHS are quick with their fines too so makes me more inclined to believe she's gotten away with it.

Even if she were medically exempt, you don't get free prescriptions without the certificate. I'm type 1 diabetic so I'm medically exempt from prescription charges, the certificates only last 5 years and then you have to reapply. They don't remind you so I accidentally went 2 months over my last certificate (they don't remind you to renew). They caught it almost immediately and I had to pay back for all the prescriptions in the 2 months and pay a fine for falsely claiming I had a medical exemption even though my exemption status hadn't changed during that time .

Yep it sounds like it's been assumed she is epileptic and so automatically there's an assumption that she is exempt.

if your friend isn't except form paying for perscriptions, they can pay monthly and it works out cheaper https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/save-money-with-a-prescription-prepayment-certificate-ppc/

thats useful to know - thanks

I have never been asked to show my exemption certificate. Have been getting free prescriptions for 20 years.

Or she could move to Scotland and all prescriptions are free.......

So true 😂, it's exactly the reason I never have to show my exemption certificate.

I’m a pharmacist, your friend has a probability of about 99% getting away with it, the NHS BSA seem to be hot on fining people who falsely claim they’ve got exemption certificates (eg medical, prepayment, maternity) but not so much with benefits. They only fine as they find them, so if she’s not got a letter and has already started paying for her scripts she’s most definitely got away with it. No point moving pharmacies as PPs have suggested, won’t make a difference, the pharmacy has got nothing to do it, we’re basically just tax collectors in that regard, not enforcers. In conclusion, I think she’ll be fine.

I got caught once, I had claimed for free dental treatment and a prescription when I thought I was still eligible on tax credits but wasn't. I had to pay a small fine. I was told they check randomly, not every single prescription.

If the medication is free for epilepsy but not for neuralgia, then how do the pharmacy or the administration at the NHS going to know her personal medical information as to what condition she has?

Is that why she has not been questioned because the NHS administration and pharmacy have presumed it's for epilepsy.

Does that make sense?

@Vettrianofan I've only been asked for it once when I changed pharmacy but the powers that be knew immediately when it had expired and that I'd carried on claiming. Its lucky in a way as I never look at the card so would probably have gone for months without realising if they hadn't sent me a fine in month 2.

I understand the epilepsy meds for pain conditions, I’ve been offered them .
I imagine as that is the med prescribed that’s why it’s gone through. The prescription doesn’t say epilepsy meds but not for epilepsy so no one except dr and patient would know.
I think she should leave it. It would probably take years to sort out , get passed around etc…

Thank you, so it’s probably not that they assume she has epilepsy? And they probably won’t ask questions if she phones them with a prepayment certificate?

It doesn't work like that, you have to apply for an exemption certificate where they assess your medical conditions. NHS admin who deal with prescription charges then know if you have a certificate or not, not what medical condition yiu have. If you have a medically exempt condition but no exemption certificate you still get fined.

Op, I'd just start paying for your prescriptions from now on. Prisons are not heaving with people who haven't paid and the most you would get is a fine I should think

The important thing for you to now do is pay (and I assume this is yourself!)

That’s really strange that it hasn’t been picked up if the system checks automatically. So the pharmacy doesn’t get in trouble if someone lies? I wonder how many people get away with it each month

The way I understood it was that if you have a condition that makes you exempt (eg diabetes ) then even if the item you're getting isn't directly related to the condition-like a diabetic needing medicine for a chest infection - then it's still free.

Or at least it was the case 20 years ago when my diabetic parent needed prescription medicines for other illnesses.

I think she’s likely got away with it. She’s had a hard time so no judgement from Metz

Not really buying the “forgot to tell the pharmacist” line though. All pharmacists I have done across say “do you pay for your prescriptions” so it’s a straight yes/no. If the pharmacist really didn’t ask for years (?) really then that’s their bad.

Only if you've got an exemption certificate. A diagnosis isn't enough.

I'm not convinced that ten years can be considered an 'honest mistake'. I think this person purposefully did not pay and is now feeling anxious about the repercussions coming home to roost.

Yes is ridiculous I am exempt due to a thyroid condition but I don’t pay prescriptions at all regardless of if it’s to do with thyroid or not.
and yet you don’t get the privilege if you’re living with cancer in most cases. Not sure who made that rule up.

Has she told anyone in authority?
Has anyone questioned it?
She should probably just keep quiet and move to a different pharmacy. If it was going to be picked up surely it would have by now.
Pretty sure there is worse dishonesty going on in the NHS

If she wants to be very honest she could pay it. Or she could change pharmacies.