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.

Pickachew Thanks I had never thought of that, I'll look into it.

You don't need a BNF to check drug prices.
You can look in the drug tariff, it's more accurate as it's updated monthly.
www.drugtariff.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/#/00414430-DD_2/DD00414418/Home

pick it's the 8/500 that's being stopped for acute conditions. Chronic conditions will still be able to get it on prescription.

My meds are approx £2500 a month, I am monitored appropriately due to the cost. I have to partake in the monitoring to get the script each month

I Google how much it would have cost me to buy dd2s formula online.

It was around 28 pounds a tub.

My priority was keeping my dd happy and healthy I already felt crap for not pushing harder far sooner when I know ew what was wrong. I didn't need to see the cost of her prescription on top.

I very much doubt anyone on hundreds of pounds of medication are really laughing at the "saving" I can't imagine they feel particularly well on a daily basis.

And knowing the cost could well make people not visit the Dr in the first place.

Besides I am of the belief that regardless of the cost of the medication. I bet it's still far cheaper than having to be admitted to hospital and the treatment of the damage caused by not taking the medication.

It's also important I think to remember that although things like ibuprofen and paracetamol and anti histamine a are available over the counter very cheaply, there are age cut offs and medical conditions that may mean that a prescription is necessary. Not sure in those circumstances knowing the cost to the NHS would be beneficial either.

Oh and I would also love to he able to get dds eczema creams on prescription. I am very often crippled by the cost of the creams and shampoos etc that i need for her. Annoying thing about that kinda stuff is that it can take many trials of many different ones to find what works. Amd what works for dd is not available on prescription.

Even though they'd prescribe the stuff that doesn't work quiet happily and he abs and steroid creams needed as a result of it not working...

I used to have to take 75mg aspirin every day - it was cheaper to buy OTC than pay the prescription -so that's what I did for 15 or so yrs. (I was advised to do that by a consultant...)
When free prescriptions came in (I'm in Scotland) and I got my aspirin from the pharmacy they would tell me I shouldn't be paying for it ...I thought I can afford £2 a month so carried on.
Then I was ill (hospitalised, unrelated) and when I got out and saw my GP he said he would rather I got aspirin on prescription -so they knew I was definitely still taking it, especially if I was incapacitated by an accident or stroke etc. So I did -but I felt really guilty.
I guess on one hand if someone is eg going through a lot of paracetamol that is an indicator that they are in constant pain -but on the other my DM used to help old people and one said they needed paracetamol on their repeat - their niece (think big house, foreign holidays etc) had asked for more as she was running short ...
I think the whole system needs an overall - both patients and HCPs need to think more about costs (and not just for medication.)
More than once I have been prescribed a month or twos worth of medication to try and been told eg if it isn't better in 3 days come back...why not 3 days worth - or a week at the most? The ability to partially fill a script or something -not requiring another GP visit or, if you pay, another prescription charge or anything. And you agree that you can easily get the rest from the chemist if it is suitable...
I was having stomach problems that might have been related to long term aspirin use so I was prescribed a much more expensive alternative. After taking it for 4 months and seeing no improvement I asked for it changed back to aspirin...the GP was surprised that I had thought about the cost.
I was lately told to change from one medication to a similar one - it wasn't urgent just thought the new one would be more effective. I'd still got a months supply so I suggested maybe waiting to use it up - and the Dr couldn't understand why I would think that .....said 'just return them to the chemist for disposal'.
And I agree with GPs prescribing things that aren't necessary - I showed mine a really swollen bump on my leg (I'd walked into something but it was more swollen than I'd expect) just in case it was connected to the cellulitis I couldn't get rid of in the other. He said it wasn't and just to put ibuprofen gel on it -fine. I needed more antibiotics, so I got a prescription. When I got home with my bag from the chemist I'd also got two big tubes of ibuprofen gel in the bag -I didn't need or want them - had some at home anyway and I didn't care about the bump as long as it wasn't infected. And of course I couldn't take them back.... (I do normally check but was in a hurry that day or I would have said I didn't want them)
And the pharmaceutical companies - I tried one medication for something for less than a week with no effect (and I was given 2 months worth...) so the GP changed it to a newer more expensive one. A pharmacist friend said the new one was basically identical to the first one. The licence had expired on the first one, so generic versions could be made. The drug company had altered a tiny part of the active molecule in a non-active part and reissued it as a new drug, with a new licence. She said that was quite common and the GP must have been influenced by the drug reps. The first one just needed longer to work and the new one 'worked' cos the old one had covered most of the lag phase...
I have cost the NHS a fortune - I really appreciate it. If I can save them a tiny bit of money treating me without making my health worse I think I should.
(I have also done medication 'swaps' with my parents -so eg when I came off warfarin I gave the stuff I had left to DM who also takes it - she was taken off aspirin and gave what she had left to me...as long as they identical I can't see what the problem is!)

I can't believe the number of people supporting the 'ignorance is bliss' argument. Having an NHS means that we all have to behave responsibly (as I said up thread saving resource AND using resource when we need to). Surely unless people are educated and informed about the costs of health care they cannot make reasoned judgements about NHS budget announcements/cuts/decisions. This could be why some people focus on issues such as the annual cost of people who are not eligible to use the NHS but do so anyway rather than the bigger issues of how the NHS manages healthcare that is complex, changing and often includes expensive new treatment options.

I do feel guilty about how much I cost the NHS.

I get prescriptions free due to epilepsy (have other issues as well.) I get get 8 drugs on repeat. On the NHS website my month repeat prescription totals £80.80. One is over the counter and that costs the NHS £2.47 for 500ml bottle. If I paid prescription that would be £8.40. I do feel guilty getting it prescribed for free snd I pay £7.19 in Boots instead of requesting the repeat. Two of the medications would cost more than the prescription £8.40.

I'm very lucky to have the NHS.

SingaSong please don't feel guilty. You're entitled to the medicine and this is exactly what the NHS is for.

No one should be feeling guilty. Everyone should be behaving responsibly. E.g. Not going to the GP for a sore throat (my colleague, I'm looking at you).

Realistically for DS and others who are on large amounts of medication it is highly likely that the medicine cost is just the tip of the iceberg of their cost to the NHS really. I dread to think how much ds care has cost over the last 7 years - and I will be eternally grateful I don't need to think about that side of things!

I'm lucky in a way due to free scripts (live in Wales) but I do think it is a bad idea. No one likes to be ill and doing this i feel would make people feel shitty. Besides our taxes go towatds the NHS and for those who pay on top of that, youve already paid enough so any making feel bad wouldnt be a good idea. I believe they should be free for all - well hardly free, as we pay via taxes anyway. Doctors dont always give enough either. I had a knee injury, was prescribed strong painkillers and told to take for a week. If id taken them at the max dosage id have only lasted 3 days!

If you believe meds should have prices on them then what about operations and hospital visits? Seems like the next step which would only further convince a number of people not to seek help when they need it. The same reasons people have given for not pricing meds.

I've just given birth. Assisted delivery, tearing, cutting, retained placenta, severe blood loss, both baby and I needing antibiotics and watching for several days after. Many meds and injections needed. I'm aware that would run to the thousands to pay for and I'm very appreciative of it, knowing the actual price tag would just make me feel guilty, not more appreciative.

What about ops that are not emergencies like hip ops, cyst removals etc. Some people would be put off going to the doctor, I know my grandparents certainly would.

I also had a lot of medication during my pregnancy which i got on prescription. It took long enough to go to the doctors because I felt like I was wasting time and because it didn't affect and hurt the baby, only me. Knowing the price of those again would just put me off going.

It's wasted meds people should look at. People who don't finish antibiotics courses and end up needing more prescribed for example. Especially as that also encourages resistance.

Monochromecat the problem with that is that the irresponsible people won't change by knowing prices because they are irresponsible and don't care.

The same as adverts for drink driving for example, don't affect those who do drink and drive- just those who wouldn't.

I don't have asthma or any family who does, but I think people should get asthma meds free as you shouldn't have to pay to be able to breathe. Do people with emphysema (sp?) have to pay too?

I just bought a prepayment cert online
Can't claim back for the asthma meds from Friday because I did not know you could or that you had to ask for a form at the time, now it is too late.

Will suck up that £17..with gritted teeth

I don't think it would help in any way - the people that waste resources wouldn't change their habits as its not 'their' money (I know it's all our money but if you don't currently see getting calpol on prescription when you can afford it as a waste a price label isn't suddenly going to change that).

The list of exempt conditions is massively out of date because it's barely been updated since it was created.

No I don't because my son is on hundreds of thousands of pounds of medication a year and the drs are quick to tell me how much he's costing the NHS so I end up racked with guilt when I then need to take one of the other kids or myself to the GP for something.

To all the people saying they have paid X amount etc. do you know you can get a whole years paid unlimited prescriptions for £100. or £10 a month by direct debit.

There are a vast number of "youre not exempt but if you dont take these meds then its life-threatening" conditions.

I think they should not charge for all medicine for life-long life-threatening conditions but also make that exemption condition-specific. Currently if you have one of the exempt conditions then you never pay for any prescription for anything ever again which seems wrong.

I think the responsibility should lay with the prescribers, they know the costs and their budgets.

individuals have a responsibility to not waste medication, but If a medical professional prescribes it then I'm not going to judge anyone.

I did stop using a chemist once that would only accept monthly prescriptions, instead of the 2 monthly ones I usually get... the only reason they insisted on monthly prescriptions is they can charge the GP per prescription filled. I was a bit at the fact the GP surgery just let them do this.

I take what im prescribed by the gp but i am also on a list of stuff that i have asked her that instead of prescribing that to save nhs costs i purchase myself,

she has quality checked my purchases to make sure they would meet requirements and so i do spend about £100 every month on these,

in addition to this i am on a shed load of medications which i have spent the past hour totalling up, it hasnt done me any good,

i now feel very guilty to say that for 28 days worth of medications to me going comes to a grand total of £805.01.

Which is hard to take in but i need it all to keep me surviving, i dont have to pay for scripts and am very thankful for the nhs and all it does,

in the past i have been given botox for chronic migraine, this entailed 3 vials being opened for each round at an estimated cost of £350 per vial so £1050 alone at each round. it personally made things worse for me so only had 2 rounds instead of the planned trial of 3

partner is on a list of meds as well so am going off to work out his total and am prepared for a large figure there too

To all the people saying they have paid X amount etc. do you know you can get a whole years paid unlimited prescriptions for £100. or £10 a month by direct debit.

Not until I posted here yesterday! And by then I had already paid out for some of it

No I don't because my son is on hundreds of thousands of pounds of medication a year and the drs are quick to tell me how much he's costing the NHS so I end up racked with guilt when I then need to take one of the other kids or myself to the GP for something

Wonder if they would be so quick to tell someone the cost if said cost was a result of their incompetence in the first place.

I know if I had been listened too then dd2s hospital admissions may never have happened. And if they had she would have been bigger and stronger and probably required less intervention

I also wonder what the cost of the useless medication she was prescribed and the potential extra useless medication she would have been prescribed had I not demanded what I knew she needed.