To think the NHS should tell us the cost of medication

[glenthebattleostrich]

Just been talking to / whining at DH about how I need to order a new inhalor before Christmas but my app won't let me before 25 Dec. Then got onto the cost of prescriptions and wasted medication (I know, bet you wish you were here!)

Out of interest I googled the cost of my inhalor and the one my doctor tried to switch me too (can't use dry powder as it makes my asthma worse for some reason).

My symbicort costs about £38 and my salbutamol £12 to buy. Suddenly i feel better about prescription charges (still annoying that some parts of the UK don't pay or certain conditions get all meds free others dont, bit that's a different thread).

Anyways, after all that waffle, AIBU to think we should be told how much it would cost us to buy medication? I'd be more appreciative of the savings / consider how much I need it and would be less likely to waste medication.

I'm on the fence with this one as whilst I agree with your reasons above, I am aware of people who don't use medication when they should as they don't want to waste NHS resources. By telling them how much their meds cost they are less likely to use them.

Actually I think yabu. It may or may not decrease wastage, but it will stop a huge amount of people from visiting the doctor when they really need to, or taking their medication properly because they 'don't want to make a fuss' because 'it's only a little cough' and they'll get over it.

I feel the same about the poster I've seen circulating on FB detailing how much it costs to just walk into a GP surgery.

We all should be more appreciative of the NHS and absolutely not take advantage of it, but I don't think making people feel guilty for needing it is fair - and that's what this would do, imo.

Yes and no. Yes because some people would welcome the chance to buy it or maybe pay the 'extra' between branded and generic.

No because some people would be horrified at how much some medications cost and wouldn't want to be 'a burden' so woukd refuse to take it

Plus y'know, we all pay our taxes to fund it! It isn't free. It is being sold off by our government though, so I can't help but think our energies are better off spent stopping that from happening.

I recently had my tax credits exemption stopped (seems I earn too much suddenly) and then I got ill with 3 different things. My prescription this month would cost me over £50. So I only got the essentials (inhalers) and have to go without everything else. I did not appreciate how much this helped me before having them for free. I really took it for granted. In some ways we are lucky its subsidised like it is (am also on that expensive inhaler!)
I don't think people do appreciate how expensive medication is. A lot of people waste it. I work in healthcare and have seen HCP come in with sackfulls of it unused!

I was told something like 1 in 5 asthma deaths are due to not being able to afford medication when I went into hospital 3 days after my asthma attack, caused in part by not being able to afford my prescription and feeling like I wasting NHS time and money by going to a&e. I've just had to find nearly £200 to pay for the prescription of inhalers and pills and creams for my chest and the eczema exacerbated by my chest. If I found out exactly how much I've just cost the NHS I think I'd die on the spot.

YABU.

I don't really need another reminder of how much of a fucking burden on society I am, thanks.

I think we should know.

BumDNC you can get a prepayment card, if you need more than one prescription a month its cheaper, I pay 10.40 per month for 10 months by direct debit and that covers a year's scripts. I get about 10 a month so it saves me a fortune! Please have a look I don't like to think of someone missing out on vital meds... www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1127.aspx

Gp here. Wish people did know in many ways. BUT I fear accusations of " penny pinching" would be rife.

Maybe though people would understand why you get 1-2 months not 6 months inhalers that cost that much , and why I get annoyed hen you leave it on the bus ! ( or use it on the cat !)

If it came down to feeding your kids vs an inhaler and you only had £10 you would think you could wait. I've run mine down to the wire before but I do try to prioritise that because it's dangerous but I think a lot of people go without. I've always wondered why asthma isn't exempt? Does anyone know?

My immediate feeling is yes.

Then I think of the millions who would feel they weren't worth it, or that they were making a fuss, or even get confused and think they had to pay at point of use.

I think if people request a brand instead of generic they should be told the difference in cost.

And I don't think over the counter meds like paracetamol should be prescribed except if they're needed in higher strength doses.

But I don't really want to know how much my anti depressants cost the NHS as I have enough reasons to feel like a drain without that

I looked my medication up once. One box of pills I take is £64. I have two boxes every month. All that happened as a result of knowing this is I am now very anxious about one day having to pay that price. I can't not take them, ever. Luckily I pay for the prepayment card at the moment but who knows what will happen in the future.

Thanks I will get the prepayment if I need the other things long term - it just came at a bad time, £50+ at xmas wasn't good timing! Usually it's just 2 inhalers and nothing else

I don't know. When I left hospital after having DCs I had to wait for pharmacy which included paracetamol. I told them I had paracetamol at home, but they said I must leave with it and also helpfully told me it cost something like £6 a box by the time admin and pharmacy costs were added in. I can buy my own paracetamol for 16p I think in a lot of ways it would highlight the waste in the system (not sure if this is a good or bad thing)

Bum I have no idea either. Some mad things are exempt but my lifelong, incurable and chronic condition isn't. Crazy innit.

How much do you pay in England for prescriptions? Is it per item?

Worth mentioning here, if you need regular prescriptions (or a lot in one go) look into a PPC (prescription prepayment card)

bum and wall a 3 month PPC costs around £30. You can get unlimited prescriptions in that 3 months. 12 months is just over £100 and you can split it over 10 direct debits.

My first MS treatment was £1000 for a months supply. Then had one that was £1300 a dose now on one that is £11 thousand a dose and I have 8 diesel in total. I love the NHS!

It's £8.40 per item

I think I might go for that. I'm not sure how long I will need the other treatment so I might go for 3 months and see how it goes. One of them is low dose antibiotics which I don't really want to take anyway

If you're not sure if it is worth it, every time you get a prescription you can ask for a refund claim form, then you have a month after to claim a refund if you do get a PPC. So for example you get 2 inhalers on an as needed basis, but have a bad month and it becomes obvious you will need 2 more before the month is up, you can get a backdated 3 month PPC and refund your first 2 inhalers, which works out cheaper than having bought all 4. And you still have 2 months left of the PPC to use,

I didn't know this! Thank you

You do need to ask for the form when you get your prescription, they can't issue one at a later date. But then it's up to you if you claim a refund or not.

On a text confirming my daughters hospital appointment for hip dysphasia check it said that a missed appointment costs the NHS £150.
They sent her for it as her elder sibling was checked, had a slight issue but resolved itself. They have no concerns about my youngest- it's just an immediate referral based on elder daughters referral.

I was upset when I had to call the morning of appointment because both my middle daughter and I were v ill and I had no one else to take the baby in.