to think we shouldn't have to pay for Asthma Inhaler Prescriptions?

[MaddyHatter]

Just that really.

If people with Epilepsy and Diabetes and even people with Thyroid issues and those taking the Pill don't have to pay, why do Asthma sufferers have to fork out £16 or more every couple of months for medication that can and does save our lives?

I think it contributes to the rather lackadaisical attitude towards Asthma, and just how serious a condition it is.

I was horrified when I found out asthma treatment wasn't among the exempted. It seems like a bad joke. How many times have I heard an overly frugal (wo)man summed up as someone who would "charge for air"? And yet, if you have asthma, you might as well be paying for air.

Dh needs medication for life (regular injections) due to having a lack of something. He used to have an exemption certificate but because it is not now on the new more specific list, possibly because it is rare, he no longer qualifies.

You can also buy 3 month certificates. So if you need something like prescription antihistamines over the summer you can get a script for 3 months at start of certificates and 3 months again at the end, saving you around £30.

Antihistamines are a good one to buy online. I go on money saving expert and check his post on which are cheapest where as I take 4 a day, works out even cheaper than prescription

I think the whole system needs an overhaul. It's ridiculous that people can be so disabled by a condition like CF or MS that they can't work full time, receive disability benefits, have a blue badge and still have to pay for their medication.

It should be means-tested like child benefit - that would mean those who are high earners pay but those who aren't (which would include most part time workers).

YANBU. We should pay taxes to funf the NHS and have it free to access, as was the original intent.

hollinhurst that's good, if you don't need prescription only ones. Sadly they don't sell my combination of antihistamines in the shops!

You are not meant to pay for medications that going without could be an immediate threat to life

And yet I have to pay the prescription charge to get an Epipen, which needs to be replaced regularly as it expires, at £8.40 a time.

Fruit - argh that's a pain. I've been through a combination of about ten different ones but now stick with the one that has the least side effects (none of them really work for my condition sadly)

I would be in favour of a simple, flat rate charge for all prescriptions and for the items obtained free through pharmacies on the NHS schemes. Maybe £1 per item with a maximum charge of £5 per month. I do think this would reduce wastage as others have suggested.
The problem is though that lots of people will argue that it should not apply to children, pensioners, people on benefits, people on low incomes, those with long term illnesses, etc which just takes us back to square one as those are the majority of prescriptions.

I'm T1 diabetic and very grateful that I have an exemption card for my medication.
I think epipens should be exempt, as they are life saving.
Ds has asthma and my dbro, who lives in Ternerife, buys inhalers over the counter for ds as its cheaper than having them on prescription. Would make sense to sell them over the counter here.

Selling them over the counter is a bad approach though. If it is being prescribed at least it is being monitored and if they need preventers jiggling they can

The prepayment scheme also allows you to claim back unused months if you become entitled to free prescriptions - DH and I got refunds when we turned 60 and DD got a refund when she became entitled to tax credits.

I wish that there was a system to return empty packaging before the new prescrition gets dispensed. That would solve a lot of issues with stockpiling medicines and them having to be destroyed because once dipensed they cannot be reused. Which would cut down massively on the cost of wastage.

I also think that certain medicines should be charged for regardless of the age of the patient- e.g paracetamol, calpol, certain creams etc. This part of the system is massively abused.

I was amazed when I found out that because I had a thyroid condition it immediately gave exemption from prescription charges for everything.

I don't use it. I get my tablets free but then I don't tell them I am exempt and pay for other prescriptions because I don't think it is justified to have all medication free as a matter of course.

Taking back all the empty packaging isn't very practical in practice, my DH is on several longterm medications including two types of insulin, he gets a bulk prescription once every three months or so, that's a lot of packaging to collect up, vials with dregs of insulin in which would go manky if not kept in the fridge etc, plus remembering to take it, his prescriptions go straight from surgery to pharmacy so he picks them up on his way home from work or whenever.

I agree that it should only be the critical medications that are free, however although most of his meds are not for diabetes directly, he would probably not need to take all of them if he wasn't diabetic so it's not totally clear cut. I think free if you are on benefits, prepayment certificate for everyone else would be reasonable.

It's more along the lines of the people who hoard painkillers, or medicated dressings or even anti-depressants. Blister packed medicines really.

It would also mean that if a patient finds that a medicine isn't working for them they would have to discuss it with their doctor, instead of just accepting a repeat prescription for a medicine that they never intend using.

Certain conditions- like type 1 diabetes, cancer, asthma past a certain severity where drugs such as montelukast are needed, CF should indeed have no prescription costs.

Havnt rtft as phone won't load it all

Have you thought about pre payment? Costs £100 a year so 10mths of £10 and then can have as many prescriptions you want

DF was having 2 asthma pumps and bp tablets and paying £25 a month 😱😱

Has now done the prepayment

If you have between 1&2 prescriptions a month you will save money

But agree shouldn't have to pay for something that basically keeps you alive

I agree.

I have chronic ill health. I work part time because I am not well enough to work full time. I applied for PIP but was turned down. All these discussions to charge for things that are currently free for me, depresses me. Paying for medication, GP visits, hospital visits have all been floated. I already lose out because of my illness. Until I got ill I had always as an adult worked full time. I have to buy incontinence pads and sometimes ready meals as I am not well enough to cook. I do fear for the future.

I have a purple preventer inhaler - Seretide - and take two puffs in the morning and two puffs in the evening. Then I have a daily tablet which I take - Montelukast, and a blue emergency inhaler - Salbutemol. I live in Scotland so all prescriptions are free.

In England the vast majority of prescriptions are free - around 90%. In Scotland the government found the cost of maintaining a means tested prescription charge more expensive than giving everyone free prescriptions. No brainier really!

Isn't that because it is mainly children and elderly people who are the biggest users of health care?

nasty did you appeal the PIP decision? I know it is stressful, but a lot of appeals are successful.

I have the thyroid condition along with 2 other autoimmune and asthma and other long term conditions. I don't think a race to the bottom will help by taking free thyroxine away. Most people I know on it don't feel any better and have other problems. What should happen is make more conditions exempt. Also interesting I'd the idea everyone paying £1 except the poorest.

The problem with means testing is that if you are above the threshold but not well off then you actually can be worse off. I know from experience. There seems little incentive to earn more if the things you then have to pay for outweigh any gains.