# Should the long-term ill have free prescriptions?



## Northerner (Jul 1, 2017)

Prescriptions in England should be free to everyone with a long-term medical condition, the Prescription Charges Coalition campaign group says.

Some people end up needing hospital treatment because they cannot afford their medication, it says.

It wants conditions such as Parkinson's to be added to the list of specific illnesses that require free medicines.

But health officials say they have made sure people with chronic illnesses have access to affordable prescriptions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40431800


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## Hazel (Jul 1, 2017)

Are diabetic meds free in England Alan.

I suppose in Scotland we are very lucky as all prescriptions are free, to all ages


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## Steff (Jul 1, 2017)

Far as I know it's 8.60 an item now hazel unless it's recently changed


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## Hazel (Jul 1, 2017)

Steff said:


> Far as I know it's 8.60 an item now hazel unless it's recently changed


Oh good God, how do people afford it


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## Ljc (Jul 1, 2017)

Hazel said:


> Are diabetic meds free in England Alan.
> 
> I suppose in Scotland we are very lucky as all prescriptions are free, to all ages


Diabetic meds are free in England.  Once we have a condition entitling us to a free prescription all our meds are free no matter what they are for.

 I think it's very wrong that people with long term conditions have to pay for their prescriptions.


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## Hazel (Jul 1, 2017)

Absolutely @Ljc


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## grovesy (Jul 1, 2017)

Alot of people are not aware you can buy a pre payment certificate, hat can save you money.


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## mikeyB (Jul 1, 2017)

I always thought it wrong that just because I was diabetic, my ulcerative colitis treatment was free when I lived in England. All I can say is it's a good job prescriptions are free in Scotland with the number of medications I am forced to take.


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## trophywench (Jul 2, 2017)

Well I've always thought the ones that can and the ones the can't was silly - eg my mate's mother, chronic asthmatic, having to buy a season ticket - she would have frequently had to be carted off to hospital all her life, without regularly taking whatever she needed.  But when they stuck me on disposable aspirin - I refused to fill the prescriptions - why make the NHS pay the dispensing charge and all the rest of it for ONE month's supply - when I could buy 3 month's worth over the counter for I think it was 87p at the time - ridiculous now, let alone then - at work earning in excess of £20k a year.


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## Ljc (Jul 2, 2017)

I agree Jenny. 
I buy my low dose Aspirin and paracetamol.


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## Wirrallass (Jul 2, 2017)

Because I take Levothyroxine for Hypothyroidism all my meds are free. My GP would prescribe 500 paracetamol which would become out of date before I used them all. A waste of NHS money IMO so I buy Paracetamol myself - £1 for what I need.
WL


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## Ditto (Jul 2, 2017)

Ljc said:


> I agree Jenny. I buy my low dose Aspirin and paracetamol.


I could do this then, but how do you know which is the same as the one they give you at the docs? Dissolvable?


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## grovesy (Jul 2, 2017)

Ditto said:


> I could do this then, but how do you know which is the same as the one they give you at the docs? Dissolvable?


You buy them over the counter in the Pharmacy.


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## Copepod (Jul 2, 2017)

Ditto said:


> I could do this then, but how do you know which is the same as the one they give you at the docs? Dissolvable?


Ask a pharmacist - if you go to a large supermarket with a chemist, you get the combined benefit of professional advice and low price own brands. Once you know, you can use smaller supermarkets / convenience stores that sell identical products.


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## Ditto (Jul 2, 2017)

Thank you for that.  It would be better anyway, they only give me seven at a time and if something goes wrong I don't get any!


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## Copepod (Jul 2, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Thank you for that.  It would be better anyway, they only give me seven at a time and if something goes wrong I don't get any!


Sounds like problem solved. Unless a pharmacist is present, you can only buy 2 packets of 16 tablets of regular dose aspirin of paracetamol at a time. It might be different for 75mg aspirin, rather than 300mg aspirin, but a pharmacist could advise.


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## mikeyB (Jul 2, 2017)

My local Spar will only sell 16 Paracetamol at any one time, which is essentially 2 days supply. Sod that for a game, I get 'em on prescription. I've got no shame.


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## Wirrallass (Jul 2, 2017)

Ljc said:


> Diabetic meds are free in England.  Once we have a condition entitling us to a free prescription all our meds are free no matter what they are for.
> 
> I think it's very wrong that people with long term conditions have to pay for their prescriptions.


You're right there Ljc - and I totally agree. 
WL


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## trophywench (Jul 2, 2017)

Long term use and high use of even a common drug is a bit different Mike - I was talking one 75mg disposable aspirin a day, supposedly for blood thinning.

I do occasionally take paracetamol for the odd headache or eg PITA,  - and have never had them on a prescription.  Pete has, before he was old enough to get scrips free and our pharmacy told him he could buy em cheaper, even though it was a bigger box than you can normally buy without a pharmacist's say so.

Ditto - I don't know why you are restricted to only 7 tablets of something, unless they are contra-indicated by some complaint you already have, or some other medication you are already on.  In any event - they have to give you a reason, so if they don't offer it - then ASK!!!


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## grovesy (Jul 2, 2017)

trophywench said:


> Long term use and high use of even a common drug is a bit different Mike - I was talking one 75mg disposable aspirin a day, supposedly for blood thinning.
> 
> I do occasionally take paracetamol for the odd headache or eg PITA,  - and have never had them on a prescription.  Pete has, before he was old enough to get scrips free and our pharmacy told him he could buy em cheaper, even though it was a bigger box than you can normally buy without a pharmacist's say so.
> 
> Ditto - I don't know why you are restricted to only 7 tablets of something, unless they are contra-indicated by some complaint you already have, or some other medication you are already on.  In any event - they have to give you a reason, so if they don't offer it - then ASK!!!


I believe she has posted before her medication comes in the doses packaged for the week.


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## trophywench (Jul 2, 2017)

grovesy said:


> I believe she has posted before her medication comes in the doses packaged for the week.



Never heard of that?


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## Ljc (Jul 2, 2017)

trophywench said:


> Never heard of that?


Possibly a  Dosset box, filled by pharmacist, usually collected or delivered weekly


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## grovesy (Jul 2, 2017)

Ljc said:


> Possibly a  Dosset box, filled by pharmacist, usually collected or delivered weekly


I could not removed what they are called but I am sure she has said before that is how she gets her medication.


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## trophywench (Jul 2, 2017)

Oh well I have a dosette box myself, for a week - cos every other day I take 125mg Levothyroxine and the next I take 100ng and I have a prob  remembering which day today is, LOL.  However I fill it myself every week, when there's 1 day left, for the next 6 days.

Mu mil had one too, which Pete's bro used to fill for her - but she was knocking 80 and taking all sorts of drugs for her cancer (well to treat the symptoms) as well as Metformin.

If your memory is bad, or you have bad arthritis in your hands, or any other reason you need it, it's a good idea.  But - I would expect it to be something that I had to instigate with them - not them impose it on me?  I thought Ditto spoke as if it had been imposed upon her.


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