Asthmatics in England pay for prescriptions

[Auburngal]

Any asthmatic in England who doesn't qualify for free prescriptions pay has to pay for their prescriptions.

Hopefully these people have some sense and get a prepayment certificate for £114.50. Which is paid monthly over 10 months per year. I have three daily asthma medications plus reliever and an emergency pack of oral steroids. If I didn't have a prepaid certificate - I would have spend about £420 a year (prescriptions are £9.90 per item)

Its disgusting that asthmatics have to pay for medication that makes them able to breathe and live a normal life. Over the past 5 years, 4 people have died per day from asthma.

Some sources say asthma isn't exempt as people grow out of it. Bullshit. My asthma has got WORSE since having covid twice. Before covid, I was on reliever and one daily medication. Now the daily medication is double strength and on two further meds. Plus I didn't get diagnosed with asthma till I was 12/13.

Even my GP who I saw an hour ago thinks its disgusting and he's asthmatic himself.

The logic is that if you have a life threatening condition that was treatable in the 60s you are exempt. No condition has been added since. That is it.

I believe the exemption list is based on if your needs something it should be producing, you are exempt.

Both my DH and DS1 are diabetic and get free prescription, s Dh,is type 2 and Ds1 is type 3c treated as type 1 and insulin dependent I'm not sure why certain conditions get free prescription, s and others don't
But I'm very grateful we live in a country where I don't haven't worry about paying for my sons insulin, I'm on an American face book group for Diabtess ,and people ate using old insulin pens and reusing needles etc as they can't afford the prescription charges .

Its disgusting that asthmatics have to pay for medication that makes them able to breathe and live a normal life.

People with depression have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

People with autoimmune conditions have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

People with life threatening allergies have to pay for medication that makes them able to live a normal life.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

It is strange. Free for diabetes, pay for asthma. And only in England, Scotland don't pay. Not sure about Wales?

Wales has free prescriptions like Scotland and I think NI does as well

It wasn’t made that long ago. About 20 years.

I took anti depressants then. I take them now.

I'd like to have a model where everyone pays for their prescription. The prices would be kept sensible. But there would be annual annual payment ceiling so people with chronic health conditions wouldn't be charged insanely. And exemptions would he based on income instead of conditions or age.

I can't think of many better bargains than every medication you could ever need for £10/month.

Why are asthmatics a special breed? I say that as someone who had it bad as a child.

I don't think it's disgusting that anyone pays £114 a year for unlimited prescriptions when the rest of your care is free.

I get free prescriptions because I'm on thyroid medication.Always been surprised that its any medication that I'm prescribed that is included.Not complaining though!

I agree OP, although some children do grow out of asthma, my son did by the time he was 7.
I think the medical exemption certificates aren't well thought out. As soon as I went onto metformin all my medications were free, but I came off them later on as my sugars were good, this was through the diabetic nurse, so I informed the NHSBSA? and was told that as my medical exemption certificate had 3 years on it I could still use it. What a waste of money, surely I could have gone back to buying the yearly certificate?
I am now 60 so automatically excempt.

Most adults pay for prescriptions regardless don’t they? I thought only children and maternity were free?

The list of exemptions was created in 1968.

the only update that has been made since is when cancer patients were added in 2008/2009.

And over 60*

This is so sad, the thought of people endangering their lives because they can't afford life saving medication is so wrong.

I’m asthmatic and I’m quite happy to pay prescription fees. It’s a medicine for a chronic illness like many other chronic illnesses. I also take medicine because I have a non-working pancreas. It will never work again and I will take it for life. Should that be free too? When does it end?

I have the means to pay for my prescriptions and I’m grateful the NHS makes them so affordable. In my birth country, my asthma inhalers cost £50 each per month. The medicine for my pancreas costs £3000 per month (yes, you read that right!). There should be support for people who cannot afford to pay, but those of us who can should be contributing to the health of the NHS overall.

sorry, you already said that

As a first aider in a school I’ve seen some serious asthma attacks, blue lighted to hospital a few times. Those kids are now adults and likely to be paying for prescriptions.
I have diabetes and asthma so don’t pay for any prescriptions (I’m over 60 now so don’t pay anyway).
I would pay for a prepayment certificate as it would be good value for all my meds but I’d be happy for asthmatics to get free prescriptions.

Part of the reasoning behind free prescriptions in Scotland, Wales and NI is that so many people don't pay prescription charges that it's cheaper for them to just all be free rather than the administration of a system to work out who does.

This.

I was such a kid. I don't pay for any asthma prescriptions anymore as I grew out of it.

I pay for my own medicines (not for asthma) without which I would have a very poor quality of life.

My mum gets free asthma medication, which I'm happy with as she's a pensioner on pension credit.

I have asthma as one of my health conditions and I don’t think they should be free any more than the pills to stop me killing myself, or to prevent a stroke etc.

I understand some prescriptions are totally free but generally I’m not in favour of adding more conditions to the ‘free’ list. I’d rather preserve the price lower for everybody - or extend the type of people who are excluded from prescription charges.

I agree that with a life threatening long term illness there should be free prescriptions.

dh has to take loads of steroids daily to stay alive. He actually gets his free nkw as over 60 but earns a very good wage and doesn’t need free prescriptions.

dd has to take blood thinners every day as well as other meds to stay alive and will have to for life. She’s on minimum wage and would struggle to afford all her drugs. I buy Dd an annual pass every year for her birthday! Lucky her!