AIBU to be enraged about a £100 HRT fine?

[OnlyOneAdda]

Been on HRT for about 18 months ago, so have purchased HRT pre payment certificate. Each time I collect my prescriptions, I am asked to show my certificate as proof of payment.

I have just received a letter from NHS saying according to their records I have falsely claimed for a prescription and I will be fined £100. Have called them and provided my certificate number...turns out that one of the new medications my GP added six months ago isn't covered and I should have paid. The letter explicitly states that being mislead by the pharmacy is not a valid exclude.

WTAF? The pharmacy accepted it as payment. If this item wasn't eligible then they shouldn't have. If I go into a shop that doesn't accept AmEx they tell my at point of payment - they don't send me a £100 fine six months later and tell me I should have known better and used a different card.

If I've pre-paid my HRT then it should cover all fucking HRT. And if an item isn't payable by the means provided at the till then this should be flagged at point of sale!!!

Absolutely fuming 🤬 (and of course like most AIBU posts I actually just want you to agree with me 🤣 so if you think IABU then please scroll on and leave me to my menopausal rage...)

And don't get me started on the fact that men don't have to pay full stop for HRT, sanitary products etc. 🙄

I get testosterone gel. No idea it wasn’t covered…. Not had any letters…. Yet. I think it’s been about 9 months since I picked up the prescription… need to get certificate renewed and another prescription. Thanks for the warning.

My doctor told me 5%.

1. Osteoporosis

1. Cardiovascular disease

1. Hypertension

1. Type 2 diabetes

1. Obesity

1. Urinary tract infections

1. Overactive bladder

1. Vaginal atrophy

1. Breast cancer

10. Endometrial cancer

11. Depression

12. Anxiety

13. Dementia

14. Osteoarthritis

15. Sleep disorders

Lets be honest. Percriptions for women over 35 should be free. We are the sole care givers, sometimes the sole breadwinners. We have spent 100 years evolving while men have ..well done nowt. Its quite shameful once we reach a certain age we become invisible, the NHS being one of places I can quite literally question my own sanity after being " fobbed off" consistently. HRT percriptions shouldn't be a thing. Women deserving better care after middle age ( 38) is quite honestly the elephant in the room here. Every woman is different how they get through the menopause who's to say what percriptions you need because of it ?

Adding a YANBU in the absence of a vote buttons. Technicalities irrelevant, totally impossible situation you’ve found yourself in.

On a side note, make sure you notify your travel insurance provider of the new medication too

I'm with you OP. Appeal.

Do yon have to tell travel insurance that you are taking HRT?

I’ve looked online and seems that menopause is normal part of ageing and so HRT does not need to be disclosed; https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/2030719/travel-insurance-rules-women-condition

but might be worth checking.

I've never checked what I'm prescribed against the list.

It feels like a patriarchal trick deliberately setting out to get women annoyed and fined.

They prescribe her why isn't it covered.
What a load of bollox

Testosterone might though, because it's not part of HRT. As we have established.

It is part of HRT. It’s just the replacement of hormones back to normal female pre menopause levels. It’s just not included in the pre payment list of items.

Does the testosterone gel actually say not licenced or is it off licence? My cats meds say off licence and when I queried this, they explained it is licenced but not for use on the ailment that they are prescribing it for. They say there's a few meds that work really well for other issues but until its been regulated for use on that particular issue, its prescribed off licence.

It's not licensed for women in the UK, so prescriptions are off licence and should only be made by a specialist after a number of other steps have been taken.

Hence, it's not HRT in the NHS definition.

Also, as a result of that, people should probably inform their travel insurer of a new drug they are using. Because it's off licence.

From memory it does say on the certificate what is and isn't covered and stresses you should check. HOWEVER, it sounds like you've made a genuine mistake and no fraud or dishonesty was intended. Can you "appeal" /dispute the fine on this basis?

I’m just thankful that I have a medical exemption card so receive free prescriptions. Even if I didn’t have it I wouldn’t mind paying a prescription price. Friends came over recently from the USA, what they have to endure with their god awful system is beyond me, such a wealthy country, it’s shameful.

Wait for the fine to drop through the letter box. If the item has been dispensed and your certificate doesn't cover it, once the prescription has made it's way through to NHS Business Authority and is flagged up as not paid for they ring a bell & issue a fine, no questions asked. It's supposed to teach you a lesson that you didn't know existed. They do it for dentists too, if you tick the wrong box on the form NHS Business Authority will fine you.

It must be awful to live in a country where you have to pay for prescriptions. I'm so glad they're free where I am

Testosterone doesn't work for everyone, it's trial & error. It worked for libido but sent me doo-lally because of some meds I take. It scared me to death.

It is only prescribed for low/no libido (nothing to do with satisfying your husband) but you can get it back yourself - your libido shuts down so you have to forget it ever existed, start from scratch and be patient.

It's no different to anything that requires a card or certificate that you apply for and have to look for what you are or aren't entitled to. You didn't check that's your responsibility and you got a fine. As stated if you pay promptly it's only £50 happened me and entirely my fault for not checking. Not the Dr or pharmacist

I had no idea that its possible to get a special HRT script certificate, so I've just googled

It's actually pretty clear that not all HRT medication is included on an HRT certificate and it's also clear what to do if you have non HRT regular medication

NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC) | NHSBSA https://share.google/JYkHBO1w6AIf1n04i

HOWEVER.....I would have thought one mistake, give a warning, second/third mistake .....give a fine

If someone has been receiving regular HRT scripts and paying using the HRT certificate for some time, it's unlikely you'd remember what it said on the website, when you first applied for the certificate

And don't get me started on the fact that men don't have to pay full stop for HRT, sanitary products etc. 🙄

Men do have 25% higher calorie requirements, though, so their weekly/monthly/annual food bills are 25% higher than women's. I think that more than covers sanitary products and HRT...

If you take out a weekend only pass to somewhere and try and use it on a weekday, you'll not be allowed access and told at that point in time, not given a fine 6 months later 🙄 absolutely ridiculous comment, you're proving OPs point not your own.

I think the blame lies with your GP here. They should have explained that testosterone wasn't licensed as female HRT so not covered by the HRT PPC.

As it happens when I collected my prescription a couple of weeks ago, the pharmacist made me show her my PPC, she wouldn't take my word that I had one.

But it's a shame they don't see sense and scrap prescription charges for the minority who pay them. 90% are free due to certain exemptions and they seem to put a lot of time and effort, so money, into policing the few that are chargeable. This would also help people with low disposable incomes but don't qualify for medical or means tested exemptions.

What????? Don't pay it. Fight it instead.

Yes, they don’t all charge extra for it but you have to tell them about every medication you take, otherwise they can deny claims (I work in insurance)