AIBU to wonder how people are so shortsighted?

[NHSisfubar]

There is a link currently doing the rounds on Facebook saying that you can sign up at Boots for 'free' non prescription medicines such as plasters and cough syrup on (what appears to be) an NHS scheme. So thousands of people are tagging each other saying 'oooh look Maude; you can get free plasters for baby Harold' (names chosen at random..). Fine if Maude is really on the breadline and baby Harold really needs this stuff but it looks like a lot of grabby freeloaders in general who could happily afford to buy their own plasters.

Having looked online it does appear to be a genuine NHS scheme across all pharmacies. So now people are going to be signing up to get more 'FREE' stuff. No wonder the NHS is nearly collapsing. AIBU in thinking it's ridiculous and people should keep the NHS for actual emergency care?

Free Calpol is not what's breaking the NHS

And it's generic Paracetamol suspension anyway….

I can very easily see how providing free nit lotion and worm treatment to families on a low income can benefit the entire community. It's on a par with public vaccination programmes.

Minor ailments scheme has run for years. It saves money by freeing up surgery appts and time. Great idea open to everyone with under 16s. You don't need to be claiming anything and rightly so.

Oooh op thank god you came along to wring your hands over this!

Yes but why are people going to their GP for medicine that is non prescription? Does the fact that you've had a doctor confirm 'yes, it's a mild cough requiring cough mixture' somehow mean this becomes free?

Ah, Facebook - so that's where it came from.
Friend sent it to me yesterday (not on FB) with a "yippee off to stock up on calpol & piriton" message. And instructions to do the same. And I think this is OPs point.
In our households both myself & dh work, as do they, we are not in a position where either of us could not afford to buy paracetamol for our dc if they needed it. We had a slight debate about how, for "us" this is wrong. My dc are on regular meds, which are free on prescription - I do not need to "stock up" on it from another source, just because it's free.
Also challenged the notion of 'free' - somebody has to pay for it and if there is such a surplus of money they can afford to give stuff away willynilly, what's with all the cuts to benefits/NHS?
For those who are in the unfortunate position of needing that service, it's excellent, but when there is a feeding frenzy amongst those that don't, ( oooh free stuff!!!) it is short-sighted & ruining it.
And for those that commented it would probably be a nightmare to police, it's just a shame that they'd have to. Human nature I guess

Thank you for your informative contribution to the debate 26.2!

Tbh free plasters, nit lotion and calpol does not really excite me...do people get excited over this stuff?

People don't go to the GP to get paracetamol, they go to the GP because their child has a fever, or is teething, or has chicken pox or a million other things and THEN get prescribed paracetamol. This cuts out the unnecessary use of a GP appointment for a minor ailment. You still have to present a sick child, discuss symptoms, get a diagnosis and then get 'prescribed' the medication. It's not a free for all.

Olivia fuckyou'd the other thread about this I posted on so I'm reposting my comment from there on here since MN can't be arsed to implement a thread merge feature, only close down discussions.

God only knows what they charge the NHS for these things, too. Pharmacies charge ridiculous amounts, I don't know who pays those prices. I use an online pharmacy to get fluconazole capsules that should be a quid or so, which with postage costs me not too much more than that; at a pharmacy they want a tenner. Why do so many people go straight to the pharmacist when they could buy 20p paracetamol and ibuprofen from the supermarket, cheap sudocrem and paracetamol suspension from the pound shop, cheap sterile dressings and boxes of hundreds of assorted character plasters from Wilkinson's?

Do pharmacies charge a dispensing charge to the NHS each time they dispense a bottle of paracetamol suspension or whatever under this scheme?

But the OP's point is not whether the scheme is good, or new. It's about why people who can easily afford the odd bottle or calpol or nit lotion for their kids, don't realise that the stuff isn't really free, but will be charged to the struggling nhs.

OP, I saw the fb message and thought the same as you. YANBU!

OP YANBU and it irritates me that people I know use the scheme when they don't have a financial need to.

We're definitely in an income bracket where we wouldn't usually use this. However, nit stuff is extortionate, and DD1 has been constantly reinfected since Christmas, it's getting quite pricey! So we do use it for that, along with regular combing and tea tree oil spray! I got paracetamol on the scheme when DD2 was running a fever two days before payday. We certainly don't abuse the system, but it is useful.

We had calpol prescribed for a while because this was only way we could get the school to administer it (chronic painful condition).

I got this on my Facebook feed and was mad not because I begrudge the needy basic medicine but because I know for a fact that those commenting who I know are not short of the price of a bottle of paracetamol for their kid, branded or otherwise. I think they partly misunderstand the concept (ie the pharmacist is a proxy for the doctor and each item is spring specific) and think they can stock up One woman was whining that the pharmacist demanded to see the child - others chipped in to comment that most 'aren't awkward' . Given that a bottle of paracetamol goes a long way then rocking up and saying 'he's teething' is pretty much stockpiling. I am also at the amount of paracetamol (I know it is not just that but that's the one people seem to be 'after') some mums are getting through. Again, i know on my facebook stream these kids have no underlying conditions. My boy is just shy of two and has had two hospital stays and the usual range of childhood complaints, chicken pox, ear infection etc and has been through three bottles. ??? I don't have a 'thing' about not giving it particularly but still don't go through vast quantities.

Makes sense in my head... Get enough outrage going on and bingo.... Green light to sack off free pesctiptions for all eventually in stages of course to not to alarm the masses.

That'll save a bit of cash.. All those bottles of calpol bankrupting the country needs to stop man.

Making sure children have proper access to affordable healthcare. How dreadful, what are they thinking? Actually, it's a very financially sensible scheme which will save the NHS money. If they don't have this scheme people will go to their doctor to get a prescription. Doctors are paid about a tenner per appointment. Factor in the admin the appointment would cost surgeries about £12. So a nit shampoo or worming tablets on prescription would cost, say £10, plus the cost of the appointment so £22 cost to the NHS. This way all additional costs are borne by the pharmacy so it will only cost the NHS a tenner. When you think about how many appointments per day will be scrapped that's a significant saving. Plus it will free up time for patients with more urgent health needs which means their health is less likely to deteriorate and they will receive better care. This will also save the NHS money in the long term. It's a very good scheme, can't see any problem.

Im also a bit too as I heard some research a few years back about medicine being more likely to go unused (and be stockpiled) when prescribed free. I just wish people were more reasonable in their behaviour - I've read some heartbreaking posts on here before now of people searching down the sofa for odd coins to buy a bottle so I'm not ignorant about need.

We get through loads of calpol and ibuprofen. Ds really struggles when he is unwell- becomes agressive and self harms. Calpol etc means he is able to function and go to school.

I must admit that I have been to the gp purely to get prescribed calpol but this is only because nursery wont give it unless its prescribed which is ridiculous.
Whats more crippling to the nhs is the people who refuse to leave hospital despite not being ill, those who go to a n e when they coukd see a gp and those idiots who think aftersun, sun lotion and many other silly things should be free from a gp not forgetting those idiots who dont turn up for appointments and those who go when they are no longer ill or because of something they can treat at home such as hangover and cold.

They so t pay prescription charges in Scotland Wales or Northern Ireland yet we all have the same government why should people pay here? So if it's to help those with children why not?

That's they don't pay

But all those saying that it will stop people going to see their doctor for minor conditions - who actually goes to see the doctor about headline?

When paracetamol and ibuprofen cost 20p per box from a supermarket, why would it make sense to go and get these for free or to make a doctor appointment to get these on prescription?

I have no issue with those people who are in need getting free medicines - that is what the NHS is for - but for those who are gleefully saying they'll stock up because "I've paid my taxes so am entitled to it" (!) that's what I have an issue with

lozster-- I live in Scotland where all prescriptions are free. You should see the stockpiles in my garage.
Thousands of antibiotic pills, nit cream, anti ebola medicine, hypertension medication, thyroid pills by the box full.

All my neighbours are the same. We are having a field day up here.