About my Gp and prescriptions?

[Memoo]

I am taking four items of medication that I will most probably have to take for the next few years but my gp will only give me a prescription for 1 month at a time so it is costing a small fortune.

Apparently this is common practice and they are just following Nhs guidelines but it seems to me that it's a very good way of them making more money.

Why can't they give a couple of months worth at a time?

I use my prepaymentcertificate.
I think it is fab.
it covers my eczema stuff
my mind altering drugs
that saves me money

then this Christmas I have been really poorly and have had 5 different prescription items in the last month (ontop of normal) so it has saved me loads.

I'm also on thyroxine but my prescriptions are only for 1 month/28 days. My old surgery used to give 56 days supply. So I think it depends on the surgery as much as the drug

Is there anything to stop you paying for a private perscription and then buying the drugs for a £1 a time. A private perscription will not be bound by goverment guide lines for the NHS so you may be able to get a private persciption for 6 months?

here is private scripts here

I never really though about private prescriptions, will have a look at that link, thanks

tyler80 here is a peice about the 28 days for thyroxine and trying to get a better length It appears France was worse than the Uk

Wow, the medication I'm on is £1.50 for 28 tablets on that site!

I looked up private prescriptions though and got this information:

"A patient usually has to pay a fee to a private practice doctor, and then another fee to the pharmacy dispensing the medicine - the fee may be more or less than the standard NHS prescription charge. The fee is based on the cost of the drug and the amount supplied, plus a dispensing fee which may be a flat rate or calculated from the cost of the drug. The NHS prescription charge is a standard fee which is not related to the cost of the drug or quantity supplied."

Bugger :(.

I wonder how much of the "profit" from NHS prescriptions goes to the drug companies? Or if it all goes to the NHS?

I think the practice telling you that you can only have 1 months supply of long-term medications is bollocks. I would ask them to see the written guidelines if they tell you thats the case (I couldn't find any such guidelines on the DH, national prescribing centre or GMC websites).

Karia drug companies/manufacturers suppliers etc what makes you think it goes to the NHS? There have been cases about price fixing ie overcharging the NHS

It doesn't go directly to drug companies. The NHS buys the drugs at an agreed price. Then they dispense them, recouping some of the cost via prescription charges. The charges don't cover the whole drugs bill because some drugs do cost more than the charge and the majority of prescriptions do not attract a charge anyway.

Or just move to Wales and get all your 'scripts free..

not1not2 You're right, I didn't think about how much the drug companies are actually charging the NHS for medications, I was only going off the prices on the private prescription site. .

Deemented Scotland get free prescriptions too from April.