To think blanket free prescriptions for over 60s NEED to end?

[Idratherbepaddleboarding]

I know this will be controversial but I popped to the doctors in my lunch break to collect my prescription and joined a longish queue. Everyone in front of me was over 60 and collecting huge bags of medications and I was the only one paying for any of it.

I don’t dispute that I should have to pay but often I can’t afford it which has led to me having to miss days of my medication, leaving me feeling very emotional and at times suicidal (medication is for depression). Perhaps if everyone who has over a certain income had to pay, they’d be able to lower the prescription charge for everyone or be able to afford the pay rises they say they can’t afford for nurses and junior doctors.

The killer was that every single one of the people in front of me got back into massive, brand new SUVs, one couple into a Range Rover and another into a Jaguar. If they can afford to own (and run!) cars like that, paying for a prescription would be a drop in the ocean for them. AIBU to think that free prescriptions should be limited to those in pension credit just like Universal Credit?

When DH’s grandad died, his mum and auntie shared out his collection of prescription paracetamol and ibuprofen (I know they should be returned to the pharmacy but they’d only have been destroyed and both are ex nurses so I guess they know what they’re doing). I’m not joking, there were boxes and boxes of the stuff, we didn’t buy painkillers for years and these will have cost the NHS a lot more than they would from the supermarket and weren’t even taken by the person that they were intended for! Surely paracetamol and ibuprofen should not be available on the NHS at all?

I really don’t want to bash the over 60s and it wouldn’t be a vote winner for politicians but surely we can’t afford to keep free prescriptions for those that can afford them?

There was no help full stop if one of a couple (generally the man) was working, even on very low pay. DH lost his job, he wasn’t unemployed for long, but even claiming what was then Unemployment Benefit involved a visit from Social Security to check our circumstances. Not something we ever wanted to repeat.

Lots of older people I know would not claim unemployment benefit unless they were desperate.

I think some GP practices are aware of the "hoarding" issue; when I took my repeat prescription in recently, I actually had two weeks' supply in reserve, and the pharmacist told me that I might have to wait a little while before it was filled.
I was just trying to be organised, so not unduly fussed; she advised me to phone at the end of the week, rather than a wasted journey.
On another occasion, I needed to explain that I was travelling soon, and would run out during the trip if I didn't "top up" early; the pharmacy let the GP know, and the medications were duly dispensed early.
But I agree that it must be frustrating to see perfectly good meds being destroyed; I can appreciate the clinical issues, but if the seals are clearly unbroken, surely it be possible to work around this.

GP surgeries and/or pharmacies could (and ideally should) do medication reviews with patients on a reasonably regular basis to stop this waste and other problems happening.

But as ever, that's about resources.

My GP surgery has an excellent pharmacy team attached to it, shared across two large GP practices, who are available for pro-active consultation requests from the patient as well. I'm lucky. Not so long ago my GP surgery was one of the worst shambles in the region, but changes were brought about that worked well.

There were no childcare rules or Ofsted so friends and family often did it.

Those who had friends and family who could offer childcare did so, or neighbours did so cheaply. But more often afterschool care. Looking after two young under fives five days a week is a big ask to do for someone else.
Also remember most friends and family would be working.

And in spite of OFSTED family can still do childcare for free.

@twoshedsjackson that seems marvellous. Since Christmas my practice has sent me 84 tablets every two weeks for something where I take one a day. Additionally they have got my other meds out of sync and are sending them to the pharmacy randomly. I am short of one med now.

This has meant me going to the chemist 10 times unnecessarily, so five wasted hours. My GP must have oodles of time to waste if they are doing this, or they can't be bothered to check what has been prescribed.

I have now spoken to: the prescription team, the practice manager, had the practice pharmacist call me to explain how I shoukd take my medication. In desperation I have a GP appointment on Friday.

The inefficiency is taking the tiddle, the production of prescriptions can be nothing about hoard prevention. I am waiting for the GP to patronisingly tell me I can't have a 6 or 12 month supply because she needs to keep my conditions under review, when any concern about my condition has been as rarebas unicorn nectar over the last 30 years and sweetly say, "oh, but you don't need to worry about the cost because you don't pay" which is entirely not the point, not least because I work full-time despite being over 60. I am minded to present her with a bill for the time the inefficiency has taken me.

@RosesAndHellebores that is bonkers and should be easily resolvable, although it doesn’t sound like it in your case.

My practice is hot on meds management and they do not over supply whatsoever, which can then get challenging for people on daily meds who have them delivered if the delivery doesn’t arrive on time even if they are ordered on time as you don’t have any surplus meds at all. They are really hot on the timings or ordering as well and if say you need to order early due to going on holiday etc, you have to jump through hoops.

I had issues with my HRT as they gave me 3 months worth of oestrogen, but only 2 month worth of progesterone, so it was a faff remembering which to order and when. The practice was very accommodating when I asked for things to be synced especially given I couldn’t take one preparation without the other. If you change preparations, they won’t put it on repeat until you are settled on the new medication and have had a three month review. With the majority of meds you only get a months worth at a time, even if you need to take the medication for life.

There is no automatic doling out of meds, they have to be ordered each time either via the practice or via the pharmacy. It sounds like there has been some muddling with your scripts and they have some of the quantity or frequencies incorrect. I hope you can get things sorted out without any further carry on.

Similar scenario to my OH who is on lifelong chemotherapy. One of his tablets costs over a thousand pounds per tablet, but he is still issued 4 per month when he only ever takes 2 per month (as per consultant advice). He has another tablet which is daily and costs £300 per tablet - he gets issued 21 per month but only takes one every second day of the 3 week cycle, so only uses 10 or 11, again consultant knows this as they suggested it! Yet, every 4 weeks, he is automatically issued the full prescription from the oncology department. The pharmacy won't take back the un-needed drugs even when he asks them to at the counter (so not actually handed over), and always say they'll just put them in the destruction box, so OH takes them away. He's now got a cupboard full of them (plus other cheaper meds he doesn't need but which get issued automatically such as anti-sickness, anti-diarrhoea, etc) - he once did an "inventory" and worked out there was about £20k of drugs in his cupboard! He rotates them so takes the oldest first as he keeps asking and hoping they'll maybe not issue the expensive ones for a few months to let him use his stock, but they keep issuing them automatically.

He's told the consultant many times, but she's very glib about it and just shrugs it off saying "we're funded for it so it doesn't cost our department anything" and "well you get free prescriptions, so it doesn't matter to you". They really just don't care about the cost and waste!

One month, he actually intentionally didn't go and pick up his monthly carrier bag of meds as he didn't need to, but they hounded him almost daily, not just the pharmacy, but the oncology dept too, even though he told them why he wasn't picking them up, they still wouldn't relent and cancel it, so he reluctantly went in to collect them just to put in his cupboard.

The waste and inefficiency within the NHS is absolute madness. Free prescriptions for people who don't need it is just the tip of the iceberg.

How do you know the prices?

I wondered that too. And I have seen almost exactly the same comment on another site, but with the sexes changed.

@BungleandGeorge

How do you know the prices?

There's an NHS webpage showing "official" prices of drugs:-

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/drug-tariff

I have a few medications that I take whenever I need them. I order my medication when I need it so I won't end up with bags and boxes of unused medication. I do keep getting asked if I want the chemist to order them for me.

I would be happy to be means-tested for prescription charge as for a lot of things in the NHS really.

I would not be happy to be means tested.

It's pretty bad that the consultants not doing anything but I'm sure the tablets aren't over 1000 pounds per tablet. The prices you see in the drug tariff are p not £ so £10 a tablet. Still a waste though.

I take expensive medications on repeat prescription but they are not automatic? I have to go onto the website and order them as required. If I don't, they don't get issued. I thought that's how all repeat prescriptions worked. Seems madness to issue them when not required.

@AskMeMore why ever not. Would that not be fairer. AFAIAC the sooner money changes hands at the quack the better. It will dispell the urban myth that the unwashed public should be eternally grateful for sub-optimal and too often poor service standards.

Drug tariff has nothing to do with prices in hospitals, it’s for community pharmacies only. Hospitals have their own arrangements, which is a reason why expensive chemo comes from the hospital usually. They may be paying very little. Which isn’t a reason to waste resource I agree but I think your costings are way out. Not sure what costs 1k a tablet in community either

If over 60’s don’t deserve free prescriptions…maybe kids don’t either. After all they usually havnt paid a penny into the ‘system’. While we’re at it-why not charge for all schools? People with children with chronic conditions…make the parents pay for drugs, assessments, appointments? This site really is for those racing to the bottom of the cesspit!

GP surgeries and/or pharmacies could (and ideally should) do medication reviews with patients on a reasonably regular basis to stop this waste and other problems happening

I’ve taken ventolin for 45 years - yet o get repeatedly asked to ‘come in for a review’ absolutely pointless.

DD had hers changed to a different cartridge and it’s useless. No thanks.

I do keep getting asked if I want the chemist to order them for me

It’s a service they offer for free. They are open later and on Saturday’s. Which means they order and collect - usually daily. Make up the meds and are ready when you go in so no waiting around. What’s wrong with that?

Because as mentioned I've got medication I only take as and when needed. My sister used to get the chemist to order and she'd end up with too much.

@Gall10 because it isn't meant to be about how much you've paid in! That's not how tax works. You don't pay in with the expectation that you get it back later! That's not society.