To think the NHS should publicise the PPC more?

[NewYearNiki]

Inspired by a prescriptions thread.

It always shocks me whenever I see a thread on prescriptions that people say my nan is on 14 medications and couldn't afford to pay or talking of the crippling cost of their inhalers, 3-4 a month.

I need 3-4 different meds per month. I have a prepayment certificate.

It costs the princely sum of £104 per year for unlimited prescriptions and you can pay by direct debit over 10 months at £10.40 per month.

It shocks me why the NHS dont publicise it more as it would genuinely save people on multiple medications lots of money.

apps.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ppcwebsales/patient.do

I’ve never actually heard of this so I would agree with you. Although granted I don’t get many prescriptions.

I have a exemption certificate, I take anticonvulsant.
I'm grateful for it. But it means I get every prescription for free.
Surely I should just get my anticonvulsants for free and have to pay £8.60 like everyone else?
It must cost a fortune.
Now I will say I'm not a frequent flyer at the doctors and rarely get prescriptions for anything else as I will buy otc first.

@drinkswineoutofamug

You've missed the point.

I dont mean for people on medical exemptions. That shouldn't be altered.

What i meant was, Asthma for example, isnt an exempt condition and having 3 different inhalers can be expensive at £8.60 each. A PPC is so much cheaper.

Even for conditions like depression / anxiety. My friend was on 3 different meds. Cost a fortune, didnt know about the PPC.

Do you see where I am going with this?

I dont mean scrap medical exemption and make everyone pay.

I mean why don't they publicise it more for those who need multiple meds and cant claim any exemption. It would save them money.

I hear my pharmacist mention this frequently to customers and there are leaflets in the surgery (GPs have asked me before) and in the pharmacy. Getsorted you may not have heard of it because you "don't get many prescriptions"

I do not understand why everything is free if you only need one particular medication? my mum had to have thyroid tablets, so they were free, but she would have been happy to pay for any other meds.
I guess it makes it all easier, but the cost must be huge as well.
It needs to be looked into really.

Oh sorry @drinkswineoutofamug

I missed the point of what you said !

Silly mare I am.

I think it is really dependent on the surgery / pharmacy.

My friend was on 3 meds for anxiety and depression.

She had no idea about the PPC until I told her.

No problem

I am not a frequent flyer either.

But with 3-4 standard meds anyway and then last year I got a severe infection and needed 2 antibiotics. It was handy to have the PPC to absorb the extras you don't anticipate.

My DH is not the most organised and has several items on prescription each month. The pharmacist was sick of him delaying and refused to dispense until he filled out the form for ppc. 😬

Yes, they should advertise it more. My dh and I were very worried when he became ill and prescribed several prescription meds, how on earth would we afford it?! I did a bit of digging and found out about the pre payment cert.

Should most certainly be better publicised!

I think it would be incredibly beneficial if all pharmacies were allowed to sell the 3 month PPC at point of sale as well - currently only certain pharmacies do, and they too don’t advertise it! Half the time the counter staff don’t even know that they sell them or have the forms!

“Oh, Mrs Orangesox, I see you have 4 items here on a prescription, would you like to buy a 3 month PPC right now to reduce your costs? If you get these items regularly you can also sign up for an annual PPC... I’ll just get the forms for you”

It’s not exactly difficult is it?

I can’t tell you how many of my clients who’re taking multiple medications don’t realise that a PPC is available to be able to effectively budget for your medication costs. I’d be financially destitute if I had to pay full prescription costs all of my medications.

On the subject of exemptions though... the reason why all medications are free for those with an exemption, is because say for instance someone on lifelong thyroxine treatment gets a chest infection, the implications of them failing to seek treatment because they can’t afford the prescription costs for antibiotics are far greater than they are for a young fit healthy person. That said, the exemption list could do with a serious overhaul!

We didn’t know about untill the pharmacy told Dh when he was picking up 5 things.

The yearly one you can do online even though pay in instalments and it’s valid instantly. He used to deliberately skip his inhalers to not spend so much the silly sod where as now he makes sure he has one or two spares just in case.

I have a PPC and once the pharmacist stood totting up my medication and questioned if I needed it.

She figured I didn't. The PPC was cheaper by a couple of pounds and she actually told me to cancel it......!

I got a bad infection 2 months later which was 2 more prescriptions and then I developed something else which is 2 more regular prescriptions.

They dont tell you it is there but one pharmacist questioned my need of it!

Both pharmacies I use have signs up about this. As does the GP practise.

I am torn really because part of me does wonder why people need everything handing to them on a plate the information is pretty easy to access if you look. It’s not some top secret!

But knowing there are prescription charges that nees paying why would anyone assume there was a more affordable way of paying if no one actually tells you it exists?

There are signs about it all over my doctor's surgery. But to be fair, there are millions of signs about all sorts of stuff at my doctor's surgery, so it's really easy to miss any single one. I wish they'd take some down.
I am a sign reader though. I don't think everyone is!

Need not nees

There are notices in every doctor's surgery and pharmacist in the country and doctors and pharmacists tell patients about it. There is information on the NHS website and it is mentioned on the back of the prescription that they ask you to sign when getting your medication.

What more do you think should be done? The saying 'you can lead a horse to water.....' springs to mind.

You can even backdate it by a month if you suddenly start to need medication. You just need to get a proper receipt and can then apply for a card and reclaim the cost of the items.

I think pharmacists are pretty good at telling people about the scheme. If I had to go to a different chemist for whatever reason, with my long list of prescribed items, they always mentioned it to me.

Me and OH pay for (luckily rare) prescriptions but one year he had a wound which needed constant dressings and we got a couple of three-month PPCs to cover the stuff ordered from pharmacy. Saved us money and also got to give the excess back to HCA who had mentioned the scheme.

Maybe you can change the title of the thread so that it gets more publicity?

PPC doesn't mean much.

Yanbu I'm on 3 a month plus the occasional antibiotics and steroids so for me the PPC is invaluable

It’s actually on the list that the patient needs to rick and sign on the back of your prescription. It’s no good if pharmacists aren’t offering this but it’s hardly a secret.

I certainly query why some items such as thyroid replacement meds automatically mean all your prescriptions are free whereas others have to pay. That really doesn’t make sense. There are many illnesses which require lifelong medication but only some are covered.