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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think NHS Prescriptions are extortionate

286 replies

Leobynature · 13/12/2019 22:07

I am not sure what response I am looking for. Myself and 1 year old have been sick all week with flu. I have developed a chest infection and DD has had breathing problems. After a much appreciated GP visit I was pleased I was given a prescription for antibiotics, pain medication and an inhaler. I was advised to buy ibuprofen and paracetamol for DD as the ‘NHS do not give prescription for calpol’. I was absolutely astonished that this came to over £35! This is a lot from our budget. I don’t think I could afford to be sick again. I don’t know how some families with repeat prescriptions manage it. So annoyed as the pain medication is not even that strong and I could have just ‘overdosed’ on 49p over the counter medication. £9 per med is extortionate

OP posts:
lyralalala · 14/12/2019 12:12

But as we have already established, there is no need for anyone to pay that much in a single month on NHS prescriptions.

Pharmacies should be advising people of this

After someone stated earlier in the thread that every pharmacy in the UK has a sign up about prepay certs I had a look this morning as, due to a mistake, I had to go to both the little local chemist and the Asda pharmacy. Neither of them have a sign or poster about the prepay prescription

If someone had never had a prescription with more than one thing there’s no reason they’ll know about that scheme

It needs to be more advertised so that people do know

Nat6999 · 14/12/2019 12:49

I'm on benefits so thankfully don't have to pay for my prescriptions, if I did, they would cost me £81 every 28 days. If I had to pay I would have to make a choice on which ones I needed most because I couldn't afford to pay for them all.

PigletJohn · 14/12/2019 13:11

"they would cost me £81 every 28 days."

no they wouldn't

We've covered that.

frostedviolets · 14/12/2019 13:44

This is one of the most depressing threads I have ever read.

I virtually never have money left over, it's extremely difficult to save because a lot of things I need, like food, i can't do without.

Fortunately I have an exemption but if I didn't, I would rarely, if ever, be visiting the GP because i wouldn't be able to afford the £9 (at least) for the medication.

I get that £9 is outstanding value, of course it absolutely is when you consider the true cost of the medicine.

But there seems to be no understanding that some people physically, really, honestly can't afford it.

No compassion shown whatsoever for these people.

People seem to be expecting us to just magically save the (non existent) money and be less 'ungrateful'.

thecalmorchid · 14/12/2019 13:46

It's heavily subsidised, and you don't pay to see your GP in the first place.

My meds a month come to £100's and I'm eternally grateful I can buy a prepay prescription capping it at £10 (approx) a month.

If you had to pay for private consultation, private prescription and cost of meds you'd be thankful for having such a small charge of £39.

WTF0ver · 14/12/2019 13:52

An American friend of mine pays $600 for her bipolar medication a month. And that's with insurance. It would be a lot more without insurance.

So no, they're not extortionate. At the moment.

viques · 14/12/2019 14:00

yappityyap you really haven't thought it through have you? First of all, the payments we make are called "national insurance" not " my private savings pot for healthcare".

Secondly, if you did somehow opt out of paying your £700 a month and putting it into a private insurance scheme/private pension what would you do when you retire? do you think a private insurance scheme would continue to pay out if you were not paying in? And if you , or someone in your family did have a serious long term illness , would a private insurers continue to pay out, or would they raise your premiums to an eye watering level and put limits on what you could claim. Your £700 a month covers you , and your family for life, whatever the cost of an illness.

I like you have always worked and paid my dues, (still paying income tax on retirement which is a shock to some) I have had good care from the NHS, which would have been difficult but not impossible to pay for privately. But, and it is a big but, I don't know what is around the corner' I might continue in good health or be knocked over tomorrow and require 24 hour nursing for the rest of my life. I do know that my friends with a severely disabled child who requires frequent and expensive medical intervention would not be able to pay for her care, medication, physio, respite support and surgical interventions , nor would my other friend who has had two operations for cancer and a hip replacement in the last two years. I am happy that my NI contributions have gone into the pot for them. I am also happy that my NI contributions are also available to you should you need them.

ZaraW · 14/12/2019 14:07

Antibiotics in the US can cost over$1,000 you are naive and unreasonable.

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 14/12/2019 14:18

stuckinthemiddlewithtwats

I’m sorry you’ve had some bad experiences, I really am. But the vast majority of doctors are doing a difficult job under really challenging circumstances, so I think that the way you are talking about them is insulting.

Dolorabelle · 14/12/2019 14:26

Can't believe people giving the OP grief for basically being poor

No, she is beig criticised for complaining about the "high" cost of a very very subsidised health service. And for expecting to get simple over-the-counter medications on the NHS.

If she's "poor" then those of us who aren't pay tax and NI, and will be paying for her. Her sheer ignorance about the huge benefits we all get from the NHS is extremely irritating.

patchworkelephant123 · 14/12/2019 14:27

I appreciate that the NHS is amazing but I've had to forfeit antibiotics before because I couldn't afford the prescription. I think it's more a sign of the world we live in when families can't afford medication than anything to do with the NHS.

Aragog · 14/12/2019 14:40

I have a ore payment card each year as I have a lot of medication. Costs me a bit over £100 a year but the actual medication would be far more.

All my meds are now 'by prescription only' ones but I have previously had OTC pain meds on there before. The reason wasn't to reduce my cost - it was so I could get enough of them to cover me without having to return every few days.

MorganKitten · 14/12/2019 14:41

Get a prepaid prescription certificate, I have daily medication so it’s needed. And I’d rather the proper brands than the 3rd gen pills.

Get used to it with the Tories. The price will keep going up. Plus with Brexit getting medication will change as a lot comes through Dover and shipped in.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 14/12/2019 14:54

I sometimes get a private prescription for things and the medication is rarely under £9.

viques · 14/12/2019 15:25

Dolorabelle

What you said.

I have just re read the original post and not only did the OP get the medication , for her £35.00 she also had a home visit from her GP.

I am not saying she and the sick baby didn't warrant a home visit, but ffs for £35.00 she sure got her money's worth.

tilder · 14/12/2019 15:55

For all the people struggling to buy otc paracetamol in quantity, talk to the pharmacist. I had an operation recently and was prescribed morphine and codeine. Was advised to take full dose paracetamol and ibuprofen too.

I agree you get through packets quickly. We had a discussion and they make exemptions. Dh could bulk buy the paracetamol. Much easier.

Baaaahhhhh · 14/12/2019 16:40

When 90% of all prescriptions are already provided for free, you have got to question why even bother with the last 10%.

To my dismay, I found out yesterday, that my DM in a care home is "not allowed" to buy OTC drugs. Health and safety dictates that anything and everything she needs to take MUST be prescribed by a doctor. That includes paracetamol, ibuprofen, rub on creams and gels. I was shocked. Having just moved from her own home to the care home, she now has a bag of meds delivered for free every week. She is well able to pay, and as it is, she doesn't actually use most of what she gets. Madness.

MontStMichel · 14/12/2019 17:31

LookStupidInEverything

Ok, we have DD1 with a severe life threatening condition - 10 years of 999 calls every week. Every day, we get up knowing she could die today, and when we go to bed, we know she could die in the night. Her social worker said no family could cope with her - she was the most severe case on their team's caseload.

As a result, DD2 suffers severe mental health problems - at least 25 incidents of suicidal behaviour, mainly at train stations, involving the police, A & E, s136 suites, and Crisis Teams. Then there is the self harming, throwing things about, three days in tears....We are always walking on eggshells with her. Her psychiatrist said two DDs, who could die at any time, is an intolerable situation for any parents.

Partly due to the stress, DH has had two heart attacks. Admittedly, he had only had one at the time of the fracture, but he has now had a 2nd and had a 2nd stent put in last week.

MyChristmasBauble · 14/12/2019 17:34

You are joking op - aren’t you?

HariboLecter · 14/12/2019 17:40

I once saw how much my months supply of a drug would have cost if it wasn't on prescription, it made the prescription price look bloody cheap.

hsegfiugseskufh · 14/12/2019 17:41

What a patient in America would pay for a drug is not comparable to what the nhs pay for them.

Some are v cheap, some expensive. So yes sometimes you do get "ripped off" for your 9 quid but other times its a fraction of the price.

They charge a fortune in America because they can because people dont have a choice but to pay it!

easyandy101 · 14/12/2019 17:44

No, she is beig criticised for complaining about the "high" cost of a very very subsidised health service. And for expecting to get simple over-the-counter medications on the NHS.

The cost is high to her.

Also she didn't say she expected to get the others on prescription just that she was told to buy them otc. She did get some prescription strength pain killers but felt that 49p pain relief would have sufficed instead of 9 quids worth of script

Also as it turns out she could have got it all for a tenner. I've never had to get prescription anything in my life so i didn't know about that swerve but it seems alot of people itt didn't know that either.

So the 9 quid each live is just for people too stupid or ill informed to use the loophole. They should be telling people this really. Putting what amounts to a discretionary charge onto something and then not telling people it's discretionary is pretty cynical

easyandy101 · 14/12/2019 17:45

*9 quid each line

partyhatsoff · 14/12/2019 17:48

YABU - my DN in the US has asthma and pays $260 for an inhaler. They needed to get an ambulance for her recently and that cost them $1000 then their insurance paid the test.
Our DD pays NOTHING for inhalers or prescriptions. My DW has a long term condition and pays NOTHING for her medication.
NHS prescription charges are a bargain.

HariboLecter · 14/12/2019 17:50

To the PP mentioning having to keep going back to buy a pack of paracetamol, I thought if you spoke to the pharmacist rather than buying off the shelf you could buy larger boxes?