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.

I should add paying for prescriptions isn't so bad with the certificate but I struggle with eye tests and new glasses without help due to my very high prescription.

I have type 3c diabetes too. When I was first diagnosed my gp had never heard of it .
You get free prescriptions for thyroid meds because if it isn't treated before it gets too bad you will die from it. When my hashimotos was diagnosed,my organs were starting to shut down

I get free prescriptions for Addisons, but I paid £700 for my last pair of glasses and £350 at the dentist last month so am still paying for some health care.

£10 a month to stay alive isn’t that bad

Some life-long conditions, such as hypothyroidism, are eligible for free prescriptions. Not a logical system at all

Welcome to pretty much every other health service in the world. Particularly USA...

And plenty of people who are incredibly wealthy receive child benefit...
Your point is?

Because it's a life long condition?

I've been paying for medications for rheumatoid arthritis for the last 30 years as that is not exempt either.It's completely unfair.

However, if I had type 2 (or type 1) diabetes, or a problem with my thyroid - the meds would have been free...

Someone I worked with who developed type 2 diabetes from being overweight/unhealthy diet has had free prescriptions since the age of 35. I don't wish ill health on anyone, and she does need blood pressure medications as well, but yes - it feels annoying when I have paid out in excess of £3000 over the years,

My DS will have to pay for epi-pens all his life, so he can eat safely. It is annoying.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-prescription-age-frozen-at-60#:~:text=Over%201.1%20billion%20prescription%20items,are%20dispensed%20free%20of%20charge.

89% of prescriptions are free because of exemptions (disease list, pregnant, child, over 60 or low income). Then 5% by one-off charges and 6% with Pre-Payment Certificates.

So you’re in that % who, it is deemed, can afford £10 per month for your health.

I think the age limit should increase from 60 to the current pensionable age. I mean I would prefer if the pensionable age came down, but that’s not going to happen.

Or OP, how about we all pay more tax so you can get your asthma meds free? Someone has to pay, who do you suggest does it?

I’m the same. Way way more expensive to keep me able to walk around safely than the cost of a prepaid prescription certificate.

Just give everyone free prescriptions. Would save money on not having to check who is eligible and fining people incorrectly claiming.

There are very few conditions which are exempt. Have you ever considered how much your inhalers actually cost? It certainly isn’t £9.90. You’ve got your pre-payment certificate so it’s not too bad and you can use it for other things.

Higher taxes then, yes? If it’s 1.1 billion prescriptions a year, that’s a lot of ££. That’s not counting the actual cost eg an inhaler is in the £30-50 region.

Untreated thyroid disease in pregnant women leads to severe disability in babies - the medical term was cretinism. As it's too late once somebody knows they're pregnant, the medication was made free.

The 'wealthy' olds getting free prescriptions trope

Because they all live in mansions and go on 45 holidays a year...

I think it is because meds for epilepsy and thyroid are only used to treat that condition.

Diabetes can cause problems with your eyes and feet (up to and including amputation) and dental problems.

Other medications have more uses so salbutamol is used for asthma but can also be prescribed for a chest infection.

Beta blockers are used to slow your heart rate but can also be used for anxiety.

I used to work in cardiology, some patients were on numerous meds to keep them alive but they still had to pay for them.

Free prescriptions were introduced with the NHS in 1948. By 1950, the Labour govt (who introduced the NHS) realised it was becoming too expensive, so reintroduced prescription and dental charges

Ds is a lifelong asthmatic (amongst other issues!) I always joked that when he turned 18 I would be buying him a pre payment certificate for his birthday!

now due to the very high doses of asthma medication he has had he has adrenal problems and because of that he won’t need to pay for medication.

There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of logic when it comes to which conditions are covered and which aren’t

I actually think that all prescriptions should be free. There are already quite a few exceptions

children
pregnant
low earner
over a certain age
exemptions - meaning that you don’t pay for any prescriptions, even those that are not for the exempt condition
pre payment certificates don’t pay as much
prescriptions from hospitals

I honestly think the cost of employing people to make sure people are ticking the right boxes and the administration, plus the cost when people can’t afford the prescription and end up being ill enough to be admitted to hospital because of it would balance out how much is actually made in prescription costs.

I have an exemption certificate for an Underactive thyroid and this means any prescriptions I receive are free even if unrelated.

Diabetics don’t get free dental treatment.

At the risk of being repetitive and boring everyone, the reason your conditions don’t qualify is because they didn’t have a regular treatment in use in the 60s when the list was created.

The only addition to the list since then was the addition of cancer patients in 2008/2009.

It’s not about worthiness, just what was available as treatment in 1968.