What happens if you can't afford your medication?

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I can btw, this is not a begging thread, but I'm taking the money from my savings, and I don't always have money in my savings, which has got me pondering.

If I didn't have savings and my asthma medication ran out, is there a scheme where I can buy now, pay later, or is it a case of risking death or needing A&E?

Are there any other life-saving medications you have to pay for, or is it just asthma? I know my mum gets free prescriptions because she needs thyroid medication, but that doesn't seem as serious or life-threatening as asthma to me.

What's the criteria for a medication being free, and why doesn't it seem to make sense?

I take metformin which is a drug that doesn't replace hormones, and I get free prescriptions for that.

If op can't put away a tenner for the end of the month then a one off larger payment for the certificate isn't going to work even if it cheaper in the long run. The poor tax

OP just a point here - please don't 'compare' the serious or life-threatening nature of some conditions or medicines against each other. Thyroid disease can be life threatening (as can asthma) and it is VERY serious if left untreated.

My inhalers are free.

You must be over the income threshold to not get free prescriptions therefore its deemed you can afford them. I you couldn't afford £9 despite having an income high enough to be over the threshold you really need to look at what other things you are prioritizing above your life.

Asthma inhaler, anti-psychotics drugs and insulin are the 3 medication you can get from A&E if you are prescribed and run out and can't get more (are away from home, lost prescription print out, local pharmacies closed/out of stock etc...). Any other prescriptions can't be filled by A&E but those three count as life saving medication and will be on you hospital accessible medical notes.

Well, sometimes you need more medication than Asthma inhalers- antibiotics, etc. I was sick 4 times last year when needed eye ointment, etc. It is cheaper with pre-paid.

This is why people on certain benefits can get prescriptions for free, but there will always be people that fall out of that who still can’t afford to pay. I believe there is a low income scheme available though if you meet the criteria?

My daughter needs heart medication following a cardiac arrest and was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. She is 21. She has to pay for her prescriptions. If she didn’t take it, her heart would go into a dangerous arrhythmia. So unfair she has to pay, it should be treated the same as people with diabetes and thyroid issues.

I’d cheerfully swap my auto immune condition that destroyed my thyroid and pay for my prescriptions. I’m sorry you are struggling OP but please don’t start claiming your asthma is worse than other conditions on the list because you don’t understand why they are on the list. It’s not a race to the bottom. Without my thyroid meds I would die - not possibly, but definitely. But I’m glad you think that it’s not serious.

Asthma kills 4 people a day. It's not a mild inconvenience that some people think it is

My mum had less than 30% lung function and she still had to pay for her inhalers (and a whole host of other medication). She would have died without that medication (and she died despite of it.) Yes, she got a prepayment certificate, but not everyone has £110 to pay up front.

You can pay the annual certificate in 10 installments so £11/ month which is basically what one prescription costs.

This, going without thyroid medication until payday, is something no one should have to do, and just to be clear, I am not saying that people who need that medication should have to pay, so I don't have to. I was questioning the reasoning behind one being free and the other not.

Someone who needs thyroid medication won't die of a thyroid attack if they miss a couple of days of medication. The same cannot be said of asthma if someone has a bad attack while they're waiting for payday.

And by that I don't mean one is worse than the other, I mean the logic for one medication being free and the other not does not make sense.

In England if you have epilepsy you don't pay for any prescriptions.

This is crazy to me. I live in Scotland so mostly free proscriptions so nothing to add to this conversation really but I’m an ICU nurse and as any ICU nurse will tell you, a brittle asthmatic coming in makes our blood run cold. They are the sickest and most difficult patients to treat, absolutely terrifying to get the phone call saying there is an asthmatic in A&E and they need to come up to ICU. It’s mad they yous have to pay for your inhalers and it doesn’t come under a long term conditions policy!

"I know my mum gets free prescriptions because she needs thyroid medication, but that doesn't seem as serious or life-threatening as asthma to me."

Both can be life threatening. An untreated under or over active thyroid most definitely can kill you, much the same as a severe asthma attack.

The list of illnesses that allowed for free prescriptions was drawn many years ago and hasn't really kept up.

£10 is less than an hour’s minimum wage. I simply don’t believe that someone who isn’t eligible for benefits is so poor that they cannot prioritise that for medication over other things.

Wait till you find out about the working people who go into debt every month to cover their basic needs.

Have you really never had an unexpected cost like needing to fix your car or a higher gas bill?

I can understand if it's new or an unexpected expenses (needing antibiotics or something) but as a recurring known expense. But I know I'm privileged. And very good at creative low budget cooking which can definitely save me £10/ month when I need it to.

Loads of low paid working people are eligible for UC though.

Try living in Ireland it's scandalous the prices we pay ..€60 to visit a doctor and all prescriptions to be paid for unless you have a medical card ...

I get my thyroid medication every month and it costs me €15 every month and my inhalers are between €15 and €60 depending on the inhaler .. can't always spare the money so try to do without my inhalers at times as I have to put my dd first as she has an inhaler as does my ds ..all kids prescriptions to be paid for too and no free GP visits for kids either
Antibiotics can range from €10-€60 .. know I had antibiotics and a steroid a year or so ago and cost me €60!!

I don’t have a car (I use the bus) and I monitor my gas usage on the smart meter. If it gets high one month then I don’t use the heating.

The op has told you that she isn't eligible for universal credit, that she is just about managing but that is a balance under strain when the additional energy costs in winter bite. I don't know why you think that isn't believable.

Have you applied for the low income scheme?

Why aren't more people doing so.

It assessed your weekly income, and compares it to you weekly requirements (rent, mortgage, council tax, bills etc). If your weeks income is less or equal you get all the same free medical things as someone on benefits. If it is more, you can still get help depending on how much - if it is only a bit more you might still get full help.

Then you're lucky. If I get cold, my joints seize up and go numb.