To not understand why some life saving medications are free and others aren't

[BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot]

Why on earth are inhalers and asthma medications not yet free on prescription but type 2 diabetics (lifestyle induced) get all of their medications for free?

This has been slowly getting to me as the years have gone on and I have a teen with asthma who, no matter how well controlled it is in the year, always ends up on steroids multiple times in the winter. I know they don't have to pay now but this is likely to be an issue as an adult for them and they will then have to pay, why? Why can type 2 diabetics not just get their diabetes medications free but ALL their medications but asthmatics can't even get essential life saving medications free?

AIBU to feel the rage on this?

And they won't give him more than 28 at a time. We've tried. Repeatedly.

When you say "they" who have you asked? The receptionists don't have the authority to change it for example. You need to ask the person who prescribes. If the GP is refusing to change the quantity then it may be that the consultant hasn't stated that your DH will sometime need to take more than 1 tablet daily.

Nothing has changed except how much they're enforcing the one month limit which really should have exceptions for those with chronic conditions whose medication is unlikely to change. He has to have yearly reviews as well which is a ridiculous waste of the GPs time as only his consultant can change his meds, his GP has no say in it at all.

Those with chronic conditions are often the ones who stockpile and waste medicines though. Considering that £300 million of NHS money is wasted every year they needed to do something about it.

I did try too but the pharmacy said I was registers as free prescription so why on earth would I pay! When I said about the NHS being in crisis he said well you paying for 1 prescription isn't going to stop that!

It will only register as "free" if the thyroxine is on the same prescription though. Otherwise they won't know unless you indicate you are exempt.

MODY is not Type 2 diabetes niccyb, it is a separate form of diabetes that is monogenic (directly inherited via a single gene).

Type 2 can be hereditary but is not directly inherited like MODY.

MODY is often misdiagnosed as T1 or T2.

Yeah Alonso, that's great, we're exempt due to being on WTC, we'd never go to a doctor or dentist if we had to pay, as we can't afford it. DS1 only has his DLA, (has filled in the forms for PIP), so he'd just starve without medical exemption.

Dungeon it's pretty much impossible to stockpile medicines when you've got CF.

Dungeon it's pretty much impossible to stockpile medicines when you've got CF.

It's not impossible. If people don't take their drugs properly and doses are increased because they are considered ineffective (because they prescriber doesn't realise they are not being taken often enough) and they still don't take the drug then they start to stockpile.

"As a scot who doesn't have to pay.... why can't we pay the actual cost of the medicine?"

My costs would be:
Insulin: £35/vial, 4 vials a month (roughly, it varies).
Insulin pump: £1000 a year.
Consumables for pump: £100 a month.
Test strips: £25 for 50, 2 packs a month.
Freestyle Libre sensors: £96 for 2, 2 a month. (I pay this myself anyway)
Tecfidera (disease modifying drug to treat MS): £18,000 a year.

Total cost would be around £2000 per month, and that's without anything like antibiotics or anything else I might need from time to time.

We were offered relocation to the US years ago, the existence of the NHS here was the reason we turned it down.

I'm the same Rue, without the MS meds but with a couple of extra diabetes meds. That's alongside drugs I need for recurrent infections and other things that I'm more susceptible to because of my diabetes.

I'd love to live abroad but until there's a cure for diabetes I can't afford to.

'It's not jealousy it's anger that something that for the majority of people is lifestyle induced get all their prescriptions free but people who have no control over whether they get a condition or not - like asthma or cystic fibrosis - get charged left right and centre'

It's ignorant to believe the majority of people with a particular illness got it as a result of lifestyle .

Because asthma was seen as psychological and attention seeking behaviours back in the day. My mum was often chastised for 'attention seeking' on the wards when she was hospitalised for her asthma. The doctors were also convinced it was psychological as, when the child was removed from the home and put in hospital, the symptoms improved! Therefore their logic was that the child was putting the symptoms on. Obviously as the nhs has since developed and so has science but never the prescription review!

Funnily enough, I was told last year my inhalers are no longer even on repeat prescription to 'reduce costs'. The changes for prescriptions at the moment are strict and while I agree with some, I do believe that I should be entitled to a prescription that I pay for, for life saving medication.

I fully agree - I have an underactive thyroid, and so ALL my medication is free, not just the levothyroxine. It's bonkers!

@Dungeondragon15 The GP and the Practice Manager. And they know he has to take a double dose sometimes.

Those with chronic conditions are often the ones who stockpile and waste medicines though

Not really possible with Addison's. I heard of someone who stopped taking their meds for Addison's because they thought god had cured them and they were dead in three days. If DH forgets his morning tablet he feels ill within a couple of hours and takes it then and if he forgets his evening one he feels like shit in the morning so missing more than one isn't going to happen as he'll feel ill enough to realise pretty quickly.

Dungeondragon15 The GP and the Practice Manager. And they know he has to take a double dose sometimes.

Has he told the GP this at review? They either need to increase the number of tablets per prescription or provide a one-off prescription of extra tablets.

@RueDeWakening Libre is NICE approved now, have you requested it from your Gp/consultant or have they said no due to CCG regs?

@Dungeondragon15 of course he has. They just won't give extra, this is what I mean about them being inflexible and sticking to the one month limit.

I'd guess it's easier to say 'no exceptions' than it is to take everyone's individual circumstances into account.

Wellthisunexpected your other medication is only free because you make the choice to present your medex card, tick the box, sign the declaration in other words you claim it.

If you think its bonkers as I said up thread don't claim, don't present your card, don't tick the box, don't sign the declaration get your purse out and pay.

Oldsu. I'm only on levo and the pill, both free. They won't let you pay for either (I've never even applied for my card). The only time I've ever had other medication since being on levo it was whilst heavily pregnant (also did not apply for my card) and again, was not allowed to pay due to visible pregnancy.

I have been wandering the same for ages! What with purple blue and brown inhalers all needed regularly and various prescription creams for excema I spend a small fortune at the chemist each month! I don't smoke not over weight and regularly go running to try and help/control my asthma so don't see why I should have to pay when people with other illnesses don't!

@SluttyButty it's on my list to talk to my consultant about when I next see him - my March appointment was cancelled so it's not till June now...I'm hoping it's approved, as it's been amazing so far (I'm only on my 3rd sensor) and has prevented that many hypos it's untrue.

of course he has. They just won't give extra, this is what I mean about them being inflexible and sticking to the one month limit.

Of course he has? So what did his GP say when he told him at his last review that he sometimes has to go without a tablet even though it can make him very ill?

I currently have epilepsy prescription medical exemption. Feel a bit guilty about that. It seems (from PP) that I can't swap to a prepayment certificate, though I might ask. I wouldn't be able to afford paying per individual prescription about £40 per month.

Based on payment from NHS website my medication costs £60 per month paid to the pharmacy.

Don't be so bloody pedantic. Clearly, given the actual topic of the thread, I was referring to exemptions due to certain illness, not income.

I get 56 days of tablets and have been told that is the limit - is it different in areas or GP surgeries?

The OP lost her argument the moment she started calling Type 2 diabetes "lifestyle induced"
My Mum has type 2 diabetes and has done for years and it's NOT lifestyle induced.

So bugger off OP and get yourself and your son prepayment certificates. It's just over £10 a month and covers all prescriptions. It pays for itself if you are in more than one item a month. I just about break even with mine but it's still worth it for unexpected prescriptions like antibiotics.

Gosh jazzbar!! Would explain some of my parents attitude towards me when I was small then :( They limited inhalers and got frustrated with me. And smoked in the car/living room and got cross when I objected :(

Scary to think had I been born in the 40s I wouldn't have survived due to asthma.

IvyKaty In our area the prescribed limit is advised by the CCG but not mandated. Most surgeries opt for 28 days but there was one that, until recently, allowed 56 as research shows that is the maximum you can get away with without cost of wastage rising.