I shouldn't be getting free prescriptions

[ssd]

because I live in Scotland

I work, so does dh

we have a combined income of £25k

we don't need a regular prescription every week

where I pick up my prescriptions, people I know who are lawyers, accountants, business owners all pick them up free, its across the board and not means tested

its all wrong, when people in England pay over £8 for theirs

it should be means tested, that and the winter fuel allowance , probably loads more I cant think of just now

Westminster who run the English and Welsh NHS choose not to.

Westminster have barely anything to do with the NHS in Wales. It's over 98% devolved.

My DMum is a high earner, one of the highest in her field in the country. Her outgoings are not stupidly high so she has a fair whack in savings.

She recently turned 60 and now gets free prescriptions. She has spoken to the surgery about how ridiculous this is, bearing in mind she earns a fortune and has offered to pay for them. She is not allowed to.

I think the NHS is brilliant - it saved my Dad's life and extended my Grandad's by 30 years. However, after experiencing other medical treatment and services abroad, it is a flawed system - this being an example of it.

*My asthma is always so well controlled when I'm pregnant, it's wonderful. The rest of the time though we have to pay for my prescriptions so on tight months I just don't get them.

If I'm having a particularly bad week with it and haven't been able to afford the £16 for my two pump refills, my friend, who gets free prescriptions because she has a thyroid condition, gives me some of her surplus. She always has a surplus. Must be lovely.*

This, this is why prescriptions should be free. Because not everyone has a friend with a surplus medication to share. And what happens to them when they have an asthma attack and no medication to hand due to the simple fact they couldnt afford it? They in all likelihood become hospitalised and cost the NHS far more than the cost of two pump refills when given free.

Apologies for the Daily Mail link, but the Poundland story has been reported on, but it would appear that they are exploiting a loophole that has yet to be closed after many years

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1191067/Health-officials-fury-Poundlands-deadly-dose-48-paracetamol-pound-deal.html.

Oddly the article says that the 3 packs for a pound is one of Poundland's best selling items in it's range, despite supermarkets selling them for as little as 19p a packet . So also proves that Poundland isn't always as cheap as it seems.

Plus would love to hear all the uproar if any government suggested means testing specifically including pensioners for prescription. They wouldnt do it because they'd be hammered at the next vote.

Ah thanks Barbara! I'd looked up the legal limits on pharmacy numbers but had thought the limit in shops to 32 was legally enforceable, not voluntary.

I am very glad they are free. We earn just over the limit for free school meals, glasses etc. when I need a prescription I can go and get it. I still have a collection of prescriptions I was unable to afford some years ago.

harrasseddotcom and I also think that if they made parents with age exempted children pay or be means tested Mumsnet would go into melt down.

But hey lets use the pensioners vote argument instead

If Op or pp wealthy parents really want to pay for prescriptions there are provisions in place for anyone who wants to voluntarily pay extra income tax.

the law is firmly on the side of they pharmacist, if they don't want to sell you something they don't have to.
If the pharmacy dont want sell you more than one or two packs of paracetamol they don't have to.
I work in pharmacy and you would not believe they amount of drug abuse there is, but it's ok because it's only codeine/night nurse/nytol

I think saying "we shouldn't have this policy as it's not how they do it in England " goes against the reason of having a devolved government in Scotland.

You could always raise this with your MSP. Or write to the Health Minister ( is that Shona Robison ?) . Or vote for a party not supporting this policy.

Or offer your local health board the cost of the prescription.( Not sure if they'd have the facilities to do anything about that)

For all those saying elderly relatives had stock piles of medicines shouldn't you be worried that they are not taking the prescription ?
Many elderly forget what they are to take and when. Maybe help by buying a multi pill box and putting their pills for the week in it for them when you visit, with a note saying something like green pill in morning, red pill at night

Why are asthma inhalors 2 different prescriptions can you not get them on 1?

I know it's been mentioned before but a pre paid card saves you money if you have to pay for two or more scripts per month. Currently you pay £16.40 for two and a pre paid card costs £10 per month for ten months and includes all precriptions. Even boil on the bum cream 😃

You can also pay upfront £104, three months £29. So really there's no need to pay more than £104 a year for all your medication. Which I think is pretty good actually

linky

One other thing before I fuck off - script charges are likely to go up today in the budget so get in quick if you are considering it.

Obviously £8.20 for subsequent scripts sorry

They are going up to £8.40 on the 1st April

A great deal of money is wasted on huge amounts of medication for older people that they do not take. It is questionable whether much of it is really needed anyway. If we all started in middle age to take a bit better care of our skin and do a little bit of exercise to ensure more of us can reach our legs and feet the huge cost of prescription skin creams could be cut too.

Prepayment certificates can be purchased at the pharmacy where you get your prescription filled, so no need for a bank account, just pay in cash :)

I think that having a flat rate for all NHS levy items is a good idea. Yes, there will probably be a lot of people paying £8 for something that costs £1, but this is helping towards the cost of the minority cases whose medicines cost £100's. I made up a prescription yesterday for someone with a hereditary illness and the constituents added up to £1000, just for one month's worth. That is for their medication that they will need every day for the rest of their life. With prepayment they will only have to pay about £10/month for that. Our NHS is a wonderful thing.

MrsJayy, it was me that was wrong :)

Ah ok love when im right

madamginger - their refusal to sell me more than 32 tablets at a time is costing the nhs money. Can I ask them the pharmacist to look at my records so they can see that I get prescribed medication for my arthropathy?

I really can't see why you should have to pay in Scotland just because people in England pay. That is how the Scottish government has chosen to use its budget; maybe it thinks it's preferable to, for instance, throwing the money at academy schools run by the government's friends.

Oldsu, I live in Scotland so not really an issue for me. Im glad to have free prescriptions and would fight to retain this system.

I agree OP. It's ridiculous that I should get free prescriptions; and don't get me started on free school lunches when they are now having to cut breakfast clubs. So kids that used to get a free lunch and breakfast are now only getting a free lunch, meanwhile my DD is entitled to a free lunch when I'm a higher rate tax payer. And last week the latest GERS figures show the deficit is increasing .

Westminster have barely anything to do with the NHS in Wales. It's over 98% devolved

Thanks, I didnt know that. Its obviously the Welsh Government then that choose not to spend some of their budget on free prescriptions.

It is completely at the pharmacist's discretion whether or not they sell multiples of GSL items or any Pharmacy medicines. We have certainly refused several people.