Free prescriptions

[HucklefinBerry]

Hello, generally query here. Does anyone know why in the UK, an underactive thyroid requiring medication gives you a prescription exemption but an overactive thyroid doesn't?

I can't tell you that for the whole of the UK but I do know for Scotland all prescriptions are free of charge for everyone, so your assumption is inaccurate. And before anyone says, yes of course I realise it's incorporated into taxes but you know what I mean. There isn't anything to pay when collecting a prescription for any of us so no it's not a UK thing. Maybe a Welsh or English thing?

Because when the nhs was set up in 1948 there were a few conditions that required lifelong medication that were specifically exempted from the prescription charge.

There are now many many more but no new exemptions have been added.

Overactive thyroid can possibly be fixed, underactive can't and will require lifelong medication. I don't agree with it though, and don't understand why other issues like asthma aren't included.

Although I am unaffected as I live in Scotland.

Also free in Wales.
If left untreated, low thyroid can affect alot of organs.
If an underactive thyroid isn't treated, it can lead to complications, including heart disease, goitre, pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma

But left untreated overactive causes all manner of issues too. Graves' disease. Eye disorders. Heart damage.

Fair point but so do many conditions cause all manner of issues if left untreated.

I had Graves and it was successfully treated and developed an underactive thyroid.

FWIW, I have always failed to understand why everything is free and not just the levothyroxine. Similarly DH and I are working into our 60s and are high earners. DH now gets free prescriptions and I would have on turning 60 had mine not already been free.

The system is an ass OTH my GP missed the Graves for 18 months to two years and I struggled on until I became quite unwell indeed and had to go private to get to the bottom of it. And that was 30+ years ago so I have always sort of thought of the free prescriptions as the NHS incompetency pay back.

Not sure why the rules are so. I think that asthmatics should have free medication also.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603621

I think there are quite a few illnesses which aren’t covered. I have ms and have to pay for my prescriptions. Though you can pay about £10 a month which covers all of your prescriptions so it’s not too bad.

The NHS covers, for free, any prescriptions for hormones that are required for someone to survive. If you have an underactive or absent thyroid, it will take time for you to die, but it will eventually happen. Thus you are considered the same as a diabetic, or someone with Addison’s. You are replacing something your body should be producing but isn’t.
By the same logic, you do not get HRT for free. You can live without it, although it is a hormone.
Hormonal contraception is free because many years ago it was calculated that is significantly cheaper to provide it free than deal with the consequences of hundreds of thousands of unwanted pregnancies every year. You can even get condoms free at family planning centres and many GPs.

You don't get free prescriptions following a heart attack either.

I thought it was strange that everything was free not just hypothyroid med too. But I think it's because other things can be as a result of the hypothyroidism and it's too complicated thereby costly having to filter what is and what is not connected. That's my theory anyway.