Any dentists or pharmacists? Re private prescription

[Mercury2702]

I feel a bit embarrassed asking this. My nhs dentist hasn’t been able to see me for 3 years so I cut back on outgoings so that I could pay to see a dentist privately to pay £50 a check up.

I work btw but part time as I’m a single parent and I’m also a carer. Anyway, I’ve been having a vomiting condition on and off for 3 years and thought I could manage damage by brushing, flossing and mouthwash and by paying for my check up I’ve found out that the enamel on my teeth is suffering so I’ve been prescribed 6 tubes of Durophat But unlike when I saw my nhs dentist and got yellow prescriptions and could use my medical exemption, I’ve just realised it’s grey and titled private prescription. Before I embarrass myself by going to a pharmacist and discover I can’t afford to pay for it lol. Does anyone have any idea of what it might cost and is it per item or charged at the total prescription? I’m guessing since it says private prescription that I won’t be able to use my exemption

On Chemist .net a 75 ml tube of Duraphat 2800 is £10.50 with the prescription ,( so 6 would be 6x that )

Ah Jesus thanks, if I’d have known I’d have asked if they could have just prescribed one as I definitely can’t afford that 😔

Probably around £50 where I work. Assuming the higher strength, not the low strength linked above by Floralnomad.

You can ask the pharmacy to issue less tubes. They will set their own prices so phone a few local pharmacies and ask them how much it will be.

Have a Google at all the online pharmacies some may do a discount for bulk buying . Alternatively could you show the prescription to your GP and see if they will px it so you can get it on the NHS

Ah I’ve never used online pharmacies, with those do you just show them a copy of the prescription? Thanks for your advice

I doubt a GP would issue an NHS against a private dental script. I’ve never seen a GP prescribe Duraphat.

You need to factor in delivery costs with online pharmacies, not necessarily cheaper.

I've seen many GPs prescribe Duraphat 5000 on repeat prescription.

I’m just desperate to prevent any further damage. The only other thing I can think of is ringing the place I am registered nhs that can’t offer me an appointment and asking if I could be issued the same prescription again under nhs as they’re the same branch as I used privately, it was just a closer practice I used but if they can’t offer me an appointment they’d still need an nhs dentist to prescribe it wouldn’t they?

My dentist prescribes that for my kids as kids get it for free. He just gives me a new prescription for a bundle each time any of us see him, and most of the family use it now. Could you ask them to change it for one of your kids?

It’s on the do not prescribe list by GPs in our ICB unless associated with head / neck cancer, or reduced salivary flow following surgery. All other uses have to be prescribed by a dentist. We see several dental scripts a week, but I’ve never seen one from a GP.

@Peanutpirate you would be charged the same for a private dental script for a child. If you have seen a dentist privately they will issue you with a private script not an NHS one.

Thank you for all the replies. I’m an NHS nurse so hope it didn’t come across that I want to avoid paying as that isn’t the case, just been a struggle recently as I’ve been on bereavement pay and don’t want my teeth to get any worse either. I’ve always had issues with my gums but the dentist said gum health can be rectified but said once enamel wears down to the soft layer that damage can’t be reversed so it’s just worried me. Thank you for all the advice

Unfortunately you cannot just write a nhs prescription outside of a NHs course of treatment, the dentist would get into real trouble for this.

Duraphat is a prescription only toothpaste for a reason. You've seen how much it costs, plus the cost of prescribing and dispensing . If the family need it then they should have it prescribed , but only the person prescribed it should use it. Apart from the possibility of cosmetic damage to teeth if used in children who are too young for it in a cash strapped NHS can you really justify the public purse paying for your families toothpaste ?

Often it is one charge per item - so for example you need 150 sertraline and you are prescribed 100 plus a 50 as that is what they come in - you would receive just one charge as it is one drug. (I work in a pharmacy).

Unfortunately duraphat is expensive , we used to privately dispense it at cost , which was not much less than that in the quantities we could buy.

The pharmacy confirmed that wasn’t the case with this one and it would be £59 for the full prescription so told me to ring the dentist and ask if they’ll either put it through as nhs prescription (although someone else further up said they won’t do that) but they’re going to ask the dentist when she’s back in and I said if not would she be able to reduce the prescription so I can just get a few for now rather than 6 as I’m going to continue with 6 monthly check ups so will foresee that cost when I next go

its a while since I worked in a Community Pharmacy, but we used to offer to keep the script and let the patient take a couple of tubes, and then dispense more when they need them. Alternately, get the dentist to prescribe 2 tubes and add repeat twice.

Just wonder if you’ve thought of an RCN hardship grant? https://rcnfoundation.rcn.org.uk/Grants-and-funding/Hardship-grants You don’t have to be a member and it sounds like things have been difficult which is exactly what then grants are designed for.

You being able to access the things you need to stay well helps others as you can continue nursing.

Take care and hope you get sorted.

@AmytheDancingBrick
Don't think that's the case in my ICB.
I'm a dentist working in adult special care dentistry; good proportion of our patients have 5000ppm F prescribed on repeat by their GP. Majority of our patients have a moderate to severe learning disability +/-concomitant co-morbidities with only a small subset of post H & N cancer patients.

@bfsham my ICB is the same as @AmytheDancingBrick . I'm a community pharmacist and we have been told to refuse to dispense FP10s for Duraphat, only supplying against FP10Ds.

Our area GPS are not allowed to prescribe dental scripts eg duraphat toothpaste , antibiotics for dental infections,mouthwash etc as dentistry is not their area of competence. Any scrips will be refused by the pharmacy.

In my area it can only be prescribed by a dentist. I have tried my GP (literally could not prescribe it, I was shown the computer screen), I have tried my hospital/oncologist too, and they also said no.

It is infuriating as my dental issues are being caused by chemo/hormone therapy for cancer.