AIBU to think you shouldn't have to pay for that?

[vapourtrail]

I am in my early forties and after going through all the symptoms I recently went to the doctor for a blood test and was told that I was experiencing early menopause.
I was upset enough at this news as it was, then the Dr said that I would have to go on HRT as I would need the extra oestrogen for healthy bones. She said it wasn't really an option for someone in my position, going through it so early. I have no problems with this, and would actually welcome some hormones in my life. So off I went with my prescription.
At the chemist the pharmacist asked me if I was taking it for contraceptive or HRT and I said HRT. She said, ok if it was for contraceptive it would be free but for HRT I would have to pay for it. Am I BU for thinking that it should be free? I am going to have to be on this for maybe the next 20 years. If I was using it for sex, which, let's face it, is a choice, it would be free. But if I take it to stop my bones crumbling away then it isn't! And to top it all the pharmacist told me that it actually counted as a double prescription so charged my £17 for it!!
If this was a male thing I am sure this wouldn't be the case which makes me all as it feels like another woman tax. Aibu?

The list of conditions that make you exempt hasn't been revised for decades. That's why it seems so random.

Personally I think it hasn't been revised because it would be an absolute minefield to work out what conditions should apply and what shouldn't.

Also, similarly to make the free prescriptions only apply to medication for the condition would be a minefield as well. Who is going to work out what is related to the diabetes/thyroid/etc and what isn't?

If you take my DD. She takes 1 medication for her narcolepsy and 1 for cataplexy plus 2 asthma inhalers. She regularly gets painkillers for injuries sustained by cataplexy so presumably they'd be free. However, if she's having a bad time with the narcolepsy she is prone to picking up other things. In particular tonsilitis and chest infections. So, who decides if antibiotics would be free? Just as an example. It would be very difficult to work out, and the time spent working it out, either by GP or pharmacist, would probably cost more than just making them all free.

Get a prepay certificate. I've used one for years as I have an IBD. One of my many meds is exceptionally expensive per unit and I'm happy to pay for the certificate. Some conditions are exempt but you have to get a medical exemption certificate:

If you have one of the following medical conditions:

a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy 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
cancer and are undergoing treatment for either:

• cancer
• the effects of cancer
• the effects of cancer treatment

Petition below to end prescription charges for long term conditions. I'm not sure if I agree with everyone in that situation getting free prescriptions as there are already exemptions. DH has Parkinson's and pays, he can afford to. I've had Scleroderma for 20+ years and used to pay for that medication but I'm now exempt following cancer 5 years ago. My DM got free prescriptions due to her age and just stockpiled them as many old folk seem to do.

https://e-activist.com/page/19623/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=CampaignsNetwork&utmmedium=email&utmmsource=engagingnetworks&utmcampaign=utm&utmmcontent=PCC+Petition+B&ea.url.id=1285678

I'm diabetic so I get all prescriptions for free.

I'm not sure why diabetes gives you free prescriptions but other long term conditions don't....surely things like inhalers should be free

I'm not sure why diabetes gives you free prescriptions but other long term conditions don't....surely things like inhalers should be free

I think it's simply down to the fact that they weren't commonly used in 1968 when the list of exemptions were drawn up. all of the conditions on the list had "long-term life saving medication" available in 1968. The list hasn't been revised since 1968 (lots seems to have been done regarding medications and prescriptions in 68 after the thalidomide scandal)

My son is 20 and a full time student on lifelong medication.
He has to pay for prescriptions and any holidays cost a fortune in health insurance that his friends don’t have to think about.

YABVU. A medication being for a long term health condition doesn't mean you're entitled to have it free. There's a limited number of types of medication that are free, trying to get yours free just because you have to take it long term is a bit of a piss take tbh.

Get a PPC. I have to get a weekly prescription, sometimes ten per month across all meds, and I pay. A PPC saves me hundreds per year.

I don’t think my son should have to pay whilst he’s a student tbh.
Once he’s working full time he will obviously pay for the rest of his life and I have no problem with that.

YANBU - I think the rules for which prescriptions are free and which are chargeable; and also the rules for who is entitled to free prescriptions, are inconsistent and illogical.

I feel your pain. I had rediculously early menopause so could end up needing HRT for 40+ years.

Interesting about the list being drawn up so long ago- wasn't treatment for asthma just breathing techniques then (based loosely on call the midwife)

@ScreamingValenta it does seem bonkers, I couldn't believe that travel jabs were totally free yet I pay a prescription charge for my inhalers. I diddnt choose to have asthma, I did choose to go on a long haul holiday. Seems daft.

Yabu I have asthma and have to pay to breathe .....

The rules on who pays and who doesn't are senseless today but made sense when the NHS was set up. Free for children, free for over 60/65s (most people did not reach that age or survive much longer than that), free for the health conditions they knew how to treat with medication at that point and free for everything associated with those conditions because it was known that diabetics, epileptics and hypothyroid (largely untreated or undertreated in those years) suffered poorer health plus the options to treat them were few and far between.
As time moved on we learned to treat more conditions in more ways and people live longer which creates more demands. Any government that tackles these exemptions will face a media storm and huge loss of votes as most people either have no awareness of costs or are just greedy. I have an inhaler every month which is almost £30 and am happy to pay my contribution for it but I've heard others complain they shouldn't have to pay for it. FIL, like someone upthread, was delighted to get a diagnosis of diabetes as he now gets chiropodist treatment and all sorts more free but insists it doesn't matter that he still has sugar in his tea as he's paid in so is entitled to it. He would never vote for anyone that took that away

In NI prescriptions are free I think we take it for granted without realising how lucky we are. Though people can take the piss and get ibuprofen and calpol on prescription ibuprofen costs 30p in Tesco it shouldn’t be allowed.

On the thing of more than one charge per prescription item it is not the number of ingredients but is the number of different preparations in there.
If you think of HRT that contains 2 hormones, A and B.
A pack that contains 28 tablets where each tablet contains 1 part A and 1 part B will be one charge
A pack that contains 28 tablets where 14 tablets contain 1 part A and 1 part B and 14 tablets contain 1 part A and 2 parts B will be two charges because, even though the hormones are the same, the proportions are different.

There are anomalies there too though as A:B is considered the same a 2A:2B so it is the proportions that matter. Pity the poor pharmacists trying to sort it all out!

Not worth getting a pre payment cert unless you need 13 prescriptions per year or more. Once you settle on HRT you will get six months supply so it will only cost you £34 yearly

If you have more than one prescription charge a month, get a pre payment certificate - £10.40 a month by direct debit and covers all prescriptions (regular ongoing medications plus unexpected short courses like antibiotics etc.)

In NI prescriptions are free I think we take it for granted without realising how lucky we are.

Very true. But people in the rest of the UK are also very lucky to only be paying for the prescription and not the actual medication.

Interesting about the list being drawn up so long ago- wasn't treatment for asthma just breathing techniques then (based loosely on call the midwife)

Apparently (I got nosy after this came up) inhalers were invented in the US in 1956 so probably took a while to drift over here.

Also the first one contained an ingredient that actually caused asthma problems in the 60's. So I'd assume they weren't popular/regularly prescribed in 68 and therefore didn't make the list.

Personally I think it hasn't been revised because it would be an absolute minefield to work out what conditions should apply and what shouldn't.

Not really sure it's too much effort to have a system where indefinite medication is "free" and occasional attracts charges ?

really a single check box when the Dr. fills out the prescription would do.

"Is this medication for a condition that in your judgement would be considered lifelong ?" YES/NO ?

"YES" - free item
"NO" - pay for it you cheapskate.

If medical science advances, and changes the statement, next time the Dr. ticks "NO".

And that, is that.

Oh - hang on. I see the snag. We don't trust doctors anymore. I guess it would have to go to a healthcare professional then

I think the majority of medication prescribed is long term. Just a simple numbers game. For example I take long term medication I'm prescribed every week and others I get every month. If I ever need an acute one off medication that's obviously more rare than the stuff I've been taking daily for years.

So I don't think that a med being long term should mean it is free. We are already heavily subsided with our medications and a PPC is available for anybody. £10.40 per month for unlimited medication.

Trying to pay even less than that would just be cheeky and grabby.

YABU.

Get a pre-paid card. They take £10.40 from your bank each month and the card lasts a year.

NHS massively subsidises medication costs so £17 is quite a good deal.

A medication I was on a few years ago was apparently £2.50 per tablet cost to the NHS but the cost for a box of 56 was the same as all other prescriptions. I was actually saving hundreds!

I have to take HRT to protect my bones & uterus after menopause at 40 when my ovaries had to be removed. I need lots of other meds so the pre-pay certificate was a must for me. It's not likely to be worthwhile if HRT is the only medcation you need, though, and I think there are guidelines on the maximum number of months a doc can prescribe for at once. I get 3 months at a time.