Prescription For Child Denied - Told to spend £20

[SuperFluity]

Hello, new joiner here! My GP has just assessed my DD as needing Cetirizine and Piriton day and night for the next two weeks to deal with an allergic reaction.

I was told I had to pay for the medicine myself and the GP would not provide a prescription. I said that would need 4 bottles of medication to cover the period and cost £20 and that we should not be expected to pay £20.

I absolutely understand that prescribing aspirin and paracetamol should be banned. But what do you all think about the situation above? Is this normal? Am I being unreasonable to expect a prescription in this instance?

Thank you!

People who really need their child benefit money won’t have a spare £20 hanging around every month

Poundland alternatives will do the same job. Same active ingredients

I've always paid for otc stuff even for the dc's. I just walk in and ask for the cheapest version of say Piriton. If they claim they only have the branded I walk.
Take the otc and if after a few days still a problem then gp and say I have tried treating.
Much simpler and quicker I think than getting an appointment, try something you could have bought, this doesn't work and so you get another appointment. Plus pretty wasteful time and money for the gp.

I think people commenting saying someone should be able to find £20 have not had to actually FIND the £20. There are many families in the UK who are in poverty. I'm a single mother myself to 2 children under 6 and their dad died so no child support etc. Every penny I get goes to some sort of household bill/school event/clothing/bus fares etc. If I was told today I needed to go and buy £20 worth of medication I don't have it spare and would have to miss paying a bill to pay for the medication. If you don't know someone's financial circumstances then you shouldnt judge just because you have not been in that situation yourself.

Isn't this a case of using your child benefit payment to benefit your child?

What a load of nonsense. DD gets £20.70 of chilld benefit and I am supposed to use most of it on medication?!

Medication was always free for children. The NHS has made a change and stopped certain meds being prescribed. Child benefit did not increase as a result.

You cant buy piriton in supermarket or off the shelf, it has to be sold by chemist, but you can still buy generic version cheaper

Child benefit did not increase as a result

Why should it? It's not the governments responsibility to provide for a child, it's the parents.

DD gets £20.70 of chilld benefit and I am supposed to use most of it on medication?!

Put it in perspective. CB is thousands of pounds over the course of the 18 years you claim it. Is it still unreasonable to spend a tiny percentage of it on medication?

If your GP has perceived those due to an allergic reaction, are you following up with a refferal to explore the allergies. I’m going to go against the grain here and say that you shouldn’t have to pay.

I'm a single mother myself to 2 children under 6 and their dad died so no child support etc.

Oh, now, lyssie, another widow in the same boat on another thread was positively roasted with 'Then why didn't he have life insurance' comments even though it was explained on yet another thread that some people with certain conditions cannot get life insurance that they can pay for or that will cover them if they die of that condition.

I had similar bother with OTC Ibuprofen for my child at school. Fine to purchase it but school required a prescription. GP refused but issued a ‘directions’ letter with dosage/name of child etc that school accepted. Might be an option if stuck?

They're 99p for a pack of 30 online, or from Aldi etc, why do you think you should get them for free?

I think you can buy both of those as syrups in Poundland Op.

But you should definitely be able to get them as generic syrups from pharmacies cheaper than the branded ones.

Hope your dd is on the mend.

Would hate to know what the critics on the thread think of me who has one drug costing £220 per month and one costing £480 per month. In all my monthly prescription bags are worth around £850. No doubt I'm costing the NHS when it's on it's knees. Due to government policies, drug wastage and pharmaceutical companies taking the piss.

@plumpsyrianhamster unfortunately it was something he just didn't get. He was very fit and healthy so we thought and I guess it never even crossed his mind to get it. I have it and told him to get it but he died suddenly before he got it. But even if he didn't die and I was a single mother sometimes the dad's (or mums) don't pay towards their children. There are children living in poverty and the free prescriptions are supposed to cover vulnerable individuals and unfortunately even still in this day and age there are those who need to go to food banks to get food so those people cannot pay the odd £20 on short notice and simply cannot just "find" it.

Our governing CCH has told us not to prescribe any painkiller

What about opioids, NSAIDs, DMARDs and gabapentinoids?

It's not the governments responsibility to provide for a child, it's the parents
It is the gorvernments job to provide for a child when the parents can’t. Or should we make them go up chimneys again?

OP I'm not clear if you have already bought all 4 bottles ?

If not, please go back to your Pharmacist and ask their advise. A good pharmacist can help direct you to the lowest cost medicines that you need.

You might consider going to the pharmacist before you GP for minor ailments too - it might save you a wait

Would hate to know what the critics on the thread think of me who has one drug costing £220 per month and one costing £480 per month.

I'm assuming your drugs are not available from Poundland OTC.

Why would anyone want to deny you medicines you need, the NHS is there for those in need, and you are obviously in need.

I've no idea if the cost of these drugs is justifiable or if the drug companies are taking the piss, either way you deserve your treatment.

Companies are taking the piss. But the same with some patients who demand everything and everything including stuff you can buy otc for 35p. People demanding medicine for a cough and fucking eye drops (witnessed myself in a&e). A cough, honey and some lemons. Eye drops chemist etc. It's this mindset that needs changing. Ok so cough person takes some medicine and told to go back in a few days if no improvement (to gp) they could have just done that in the first place. Saved everyone time and can say well doc I started taking something and no improvement. This then gives gps and other medical professionals time to see patients who cannot buy otc medicines. And also getting an appointment won't require a 2-week wait in some areas.

Someone mentioned minor ailments scheme for things like calpol and lice treatment. Unbranded, available otc and cheap. Head lice stuff, cheap bottle of conditioner and a nit comb!

I dread to think about what I am costing the nhs at the moment. But none of this can be treated at home by popping to the shop. And for me that's the real difference. When I was in the hospital in December, they wanted to prescribe me with paracetamol in addition to dihydrocodeine and oramorph. I refused it as it's widely available otc. I could get pull-ups or whatever they are called on prescription, but again I choose to buy. (plus the prescription cost is more)

Regardless of my income, including times on benefits I have always had the mindset of if it can be treated without the gp then I will do. If unsure I will ask for a quick chat with the pharmacist. If no improvement or gets worse I will make an appointment.

There's another thread on here highlighting a woman who needs a boob job after cancer, chemo, mastectomy etc. It's not going to get funded. Cancer drugs not available in some areas. No wonder when people are demanding treatment for things they could treat easily at home.

I’m sorry you struggled to afford the medication but I do agree that anything that can be bought OTC should be.

fucking eye drops (witnessed myself in a&e

Lots of different types. I occasionally need dexamethasone and chloramphenicol eye drops. It costs more too as I cannot use the blended version. Not available OTC either.

I should have also mentioned that the eye drops of prescription level weren't needed. The woman was shouting to staff right in front of me, whilst they were trying to treat me.
Cough person was also loudly complaining whilst waiting in A&E and some people waiting were saying just go and buy some medicine.

Timeless - nobody would have a problem with your medications unless they are available OTC at a supermarket. The GP should have told the OP what the generic names were do she could pay £2 instead of £20.

I'd like to know what those who are saying it's the parents responsibility do when it comes to free dentist, eye tests, education etc. Medication is just as necessary as these things which YOU get for FREE. Yes I agree cheap alternative s should be bought which is what I do but if you think it's the parents responsibility then you need to think it's the parents responsibility to pay for EVERYTHING not just the cheap things. Go to the US where they don't have help and their children are DYING or they're left in crippling debt for the rest of their lives.