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 think people don't know you can backdate the card too
So say today you get unwell and need a prescription. Go to pharmacy and collect it and pay, keep receipt (mine give me a form thing)
Get home, go online and order a pre payment and select it from today's date. When it arrives, nip back to pharmacy and get prescription cost refunded
It works well if you don't usually need prescription but say have a month where you end up needing 4!

i had no clue about the pre-payment card. The only pre-payment scheme i knew about was for the pharmacies Managed Prescriptions, which was a matter of you could choose to pay in advance and have them delivered by their service, which i've never done as i prefer to go in and pick them up.

No-one has ever mentioned the PPC to me.

There's normally a sign up about the PPC by the counter in the pharmacies near me.

Well madhatter you do now.

go get one

Sometimes even £8- £9 is a lot though so this shouldn't be ignored as I distinctly remember not being able to buy my antidepressants. In the end, I just came off them before I should've done as I had bad side effects the first 10 days or so and it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Now I get free prescriptions and I don't bloody need them.

Well they cant start funding free anti depressants for everyone who needs them too.

We everything paid for and many people get free prescriptions too.

Prescriptions are affordable with a PPC so they have that covered too

I say this as someone who has been an antiD's myself.

I don't know if this question has been asked/answered, but surely huge savings could be made if, for example someone who is diabetic didn't then automatically qualify for free prescriptions for every other ailment they may have?

icouldabeenacontender
If you have any of the conditions that entitle you to a medical exemption card, listed below, you are likely to have complications with other illnesses. So you need to make sure that you don't make your main condition/s worse when you have an infection or flu, for example.

-a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngos-tomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;
-a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s Disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
-diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;
-diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
-hypoparathyroidism;
-myasthenia gravis;
-myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement);
-epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy;
-a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person; or
-cancer and are undergoing treatment for:

• cancer;
• the effects of cancer; or,
• the effects of cancer treatment.

I don't know if this question has been asked/answered, but surely huge savings could be made if, for example someone who is diabetic didn't then automatically qualify for free prescriptions for every other ailment they may have?

Means testing is far simpler.

I used to babysit for a family who were very wealthy when i was young. Think massive detached 8 bedroom home, multiple properties abroad, private schools for the 4 children, etc.

He developed type 2 diabetes. That entitled him to free prescriptions for life.

His wife was entitled to free prescriptions whilst pregnant.

There is something wrong with that.

They could afford the £104 a year for a PPC or to pay for prescriptions.

I have no malice at paying my prescription PPC when I cant even afford to buy a one bed flat.

Thanks Pika,
I can see how one ilness may well increase the chances of developing another.
My mum has type 1 diabetes yet she gets free prescriptions for all kinds of things which are certainly not related. She can more than afford other prescription costs much like Queen Liz was saying.
Perhaps there is just no way around it, means testing may in itself be too costly to implement?
I don't know the answer, it's a daft and unfair system that's for sure.

Means testing would cost more than the cost of the annual PPC!
It's an expensive thing to do.
Personally I have suffered huge huge financial loss as a result of illness and the only state support I'll ever get is my free prescriptions. So I'll take them in the knowledge that they enable me to work enough to pay tax.