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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel it is unfair to be charged double for what is essentially one prescription?

23 replies

Driftwood999 · 26/05/2011 15:32

Posted earlier in health but this is more appropriate! GP has changed my hrt from Premenique to Elleste Duet. The prescription was faxed to the chemist and I have just had it filled there. Only, I was surprised that I was charged £14.80. The explanation being that it is in fact two drugs. Take it or leave it. Clearly the pills are in one box, three months supply. On each of the three cards there are 16 white tablets, followed by 12 green tablets, so to my mind this is one product/medication, to treat menopausal symptoms. My last prescription was for 12 month's worth and was the standard cost of £7.40. I'm not complaining that I have only be given 3 month's worth, as it is a new prescription, but is it right that one is charged double rate for Elleste Duet, even if the name does suggest the number 2! Anyone with experience of this. With thanks.

OP posts:

Witchofthenorth · 26/05/2011 15:37

YANBU if it is essentially one drug in one pack although two different colours, I am with you on that, not fair! I am assuming it is two different doses?

IABU though in saying that I don't pay for them.......sorry, I do feel your pain honest :(

EarthMotherImNot · 26/05/2011 15:45

Try and get support stockings on prescription. I was recently prescribed these and given 2 pairs. I was told, one to wear, one to wash.

Got the prescription filled to be gob-smacked when they asked for £29.60!!!

I politely enquired why to be told that "yes we know each pair comes in a box but you have to pay for each individual stocking. Some people only need one you know"

I wonder which one gets the box then

K999 · 26/05/2011 15:47

Move to Scotland!

Ormirian · 26/05/2011 15:52

I got caught by that too driftwood! I was quite taken aback . That was in Sainsbury pharmacy. Will get them from the chemist next to the GPs this time, so will be interested to see if it's the same.

going · 26/05/2011 15:54

Canestan combi is the same. One box contains both the cream and pessaries. I looked online and it's one of the few itmes that are charged for twice even though they can not be seperated as they come in one box!

mrsmarzipan · 26/05/2011 16:09

Unfortunatly it is the government that decides this and not your Pharmacy. When they submit the prescription for payment they will be charged the double charge from the pricing burea. It is not a fee for the Pharmacy but a tax that is given to the NHS.
You are charged for each item regardless if it is in the same box or not though the stocking one is mad.
It could be worse you could pay the actual cost of the drug and you could always buy a pre-payment certificate to save you money in the long term, or as K999 says move to Scotland or Wales....though that is a bit drastic!

Poogles · 26/05/2011 16:25

Move to Wales and it would be free!!

Original poster

Driftwood999 · 26/05/2011 16:28

It is blatantly unfair! Yes, I have been prescribed 3 months of hrt. Each of the 3 cards have 28 pills, 16 one colour, followed seamlessly by 12 of another colour. Same size, same packaging. All on the same card. There must be so many examples of this, for relatively inexpensive medications and appliances. about £29.60 EarthMotherImNot for your stockings. I equate one prescription with one treatment ifyswim, in my case, as going said, they cannot be separated as they come in one box and have one name. Unfortunately with the name Duet at the end! Thank you for the replies and sympathy which I share with you.

OP posts:

oldraver · 26/05/2011 16:29

My Mum had this and it used to bug her

You are lucky to get three months worth. Our doctor refuses to give a prescription for more than a month

Deaddei · 26/05/2011 16:30

I too am on Eleste and get pissed off with this too.
Granted it is a small price to pay for my sanity and the wellbeing of my family but it grates.
Thank god it works.

Original poster

Driftwood999 · 26/05/2011 16:31

I know it is not the fault of the chemist, that is why I did not argue. I fully understand the issues but it's still unfair imo, and I had not come accross it before.

OP posts:

Ormirian · 26/05/2011 16:33

The really odd thing is that I only pay for one prescription when I get 2 ventolin inhalers. So what's the difference?

Original poster

Driftwood999 · 26/05/2011 16:36

Ormirian - Pleased to hear you get 2 inhalers, they must be life saving so I would say there is a big difference there. imo they should be free.

OP posts:

SockShitter · 26/05/2011 16:37

Ask your doctor if that is right??!

Maybe they can double your length of prescription for next time to make up the difference. ALso try another pharmacy

Deaddei · 26/05/2011 16:41

They normally don't prescribe more than 3 months as they like you to have blood pressure taken.
I am due to go next week so will ask dr.

flyingspaghettimonster · 26/05/2011 16:44

I had some antibiotics a few months ago that came to $150 for a ten day course... insurance doesn't cover it. We pay $60 every month for DH's stroke meds... So YABABU because you have the NHS so even a double fee is still not bad as at least you know before you get to the pharmacy what the price is likely to be... I have often had to refuse to fill drugs here - they wanted over $300 for one kind of nausea pill the ER prescribed me... for that, I'd want them to be pure gold or cocaine or something...

Even with the extra charge, making all prescription fees the same for everyone except those who are exempt seems fairer to me than that those who have better paid jobs with better health care insurance having to pay nothing while the poorest people have to pay in full and often go bankrupt from medical fees...

Original poster

Driftwood999 · 26/05/2011 16:48

To be fair to my GP, it's not his fault. As in my OP, he is changing my hrt. Hence the 3 month supply. Prior to this I have had a 12 month supply for £7.40. If it suits me after the 3 months, no doubt I will be prescribed 12 months worth for £14.80. Good value and I know in the scheme of things I have nothing to complain about, it's the principle of one medication attracting double the levee and after hearing other people's experiences I am indignant on their behalf.

OP posts:

CrossWhy · 26/05/2011 17:25

If you the same drug but in different forms (capsule/tablet/injection/cream/ointment) then it's a charge per form.
If you get the same drug in different strengths but the same form then it's one charge.
Stockings are charged per leg and if you need a suspender belt men get them free but ladies have to pay!
Some of the HRT boxes do state on the box that they are two prescription charges.
If you get a tablet composed of drug A+B and another tablet composed of drug A+C then it's two charges whether they come in one box or two.

xstitch · 26/05/2011 17:37

'ALso try another pharmacy'

That won't make a difference it is not up to the pharmacy it is a tax set by the Government and they make the rules. Do you actually think staff in pharmacies enjoy telling people this. They don't not in my experience. Personally I was assaulted by a patient less reasonable than the OP.

The general rules are if it is different strengths of the same drug in the same form e.g. warfarin 1,3 and 5mg tablets then it is a single charge.

If it is 2 different forms of the same drug e.g. canestan combi (cream and pessary) then double charge.

If it is 2 different medications in the one box ie 2 different tablets then it is double. Elleste duet contains only estradiol in one tablet and the other tablet is a combination of estradiol and norethisterone. something like Heliclear contains 3 medicines so is a triple charge.

QueenStromba · 26/05/2011 17:42

I find this bloody weird. I always thought that if it was one line on a prescription then it was one prescription charge so I could have a prescription that says 1 ventolin inhaler or one that says 2 ventolin inhalers and I'd pay the same price equally I could have 28, 56 or 84 tablets of another drug and pay the same amount even though I could end up with several packets for one prescription charge. The idea that you can get one packet and be charged twice for it is just bonkers to me.

xstitch · 26/05/2011 17:46

2 ventolin inhalers would be one charge because they are the same drug in the same form however if you were prescribed ventolin inhaler and tablets then it would be 2 charges(entirely hypothetical that one haven't seen it done for years).

28,56,or 84 of one drug would still be one charge providing they were all the same form.

It is calculated according to number of drugs/forms of drugs rather than quantity/ value of medication. There was a proposal that people should be charges a percentage of the value of the drug, Not sure what happened to it, probably decided it would be to awkward.

foolishthings · 26/05/2011 17:53

I had a determined discussion about this in Boots a few years ago. I was very embarrassed as there was a huge queue behind me, and the pharmicist seemed to revel in explaining exactly was it was so that the world could hear. I still squirm when I think about it. it really isn't fair.

xstitch · 26/05/2011 17:55

Well doing it in front of everyone was a bit off but when you spend your day being shouted, sworn at and occasionally assaulted due to something you have absolutely no control over and refusing to collect levies could at best get you fined and at worst a jail term it does get rather wearing.

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