Paying for prescriptions

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Comments

  • Wonkylegs
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    for me it is the inequality within what is supposed to be a 'national' health service. It isn't 'national' and it doesn't seem fair either!

    these random decisions on who received help with the cost or free prescriptions seems totally unfair to many of us, even those who benefit from the list of long-term conditions are often willing to pay for additional meds, but are not required to.

    equality and fairness ..... too much to ask? :? :? :?

    Wonky
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Yes. It always has been and always will be. Is this from Animal Farm - 'we are all born equal, but some are born more equal than others.' It will always be so. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • cythna
    cythna Member Posts: 42
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Some year ago I wrote to my MP about this, and he referred my letter to the Health Secretary, who at that time was Edwina Currie. I received a letter from her explaining that free prescriptions are for specific illnesses, not just to relieve symptons. Do now it's clear, Arthritis is not a proper illness!

    These days I get a medical exemption on the grounds that I need someone to get my prescription for me, not all the time, but certainly in the winter. Last winter I was shut in for three months, as you can't take a powerchair out in the snow, the pavements are just too dangerous.
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Why should prescriptions be free? I see no reason why some should have free ones and others not. You cannot decide these things on the grounds of 'this illness is more life-threatening than that.' Everyone should pay something, perhaps that way the costs would come down (yeah, right!) It might stop them rising any further, tho. DD

    I think the criteria is life threatening or not. Pain doesn't seem to come into it.Shame...
    I think the cost of prescriptions should be reduced as people do not ask to be ill and these costs are not even taken into consideration.

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well I wouldnt say that epilepsy is life threatening really {Which is why I'm exempt}
    I suppose it might be if you constantly missed your tablets but I'm sure heart probs could be life threatening if you didnt take the medication.....so I cant figure out bhow they work it out.

    Love
    Hileena
  • amberring
    amberring Member Posts: 4
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello everyone, new poster here :D

    The conditions that qualify for free prescriptions were decided on many years ago and haven't been updated. I remember my mum getting them free as she was on thyroxine but my dad who needed pills to help him breathe didn't, and that was 30 years ago(when it was 20p per item if I remember rightly!)

    I don't want to be overly cynical but I doubt that people with arthritis will ever be added to the list for the simple reason that there are so many of us. In the meantime, I am very grateful to an old work colleague who told me about pre payment, it saves me a small fortune every year.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,087
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    caravancollie wrote:
    Hi everyone, I take thyroxine daily for my thyroid so get free prescriptions. The free list came about I think for those hormones that the body should make for itself like thyroxine and insulin but doesn't. It's not necessarily about seriousness of one condition over another. It's just that these are replacement therapies rather than treatments. I agree though there are a lot of inequalities in our NHS depending on where you live
    Elaine

    My friend gets free prescriptions for the same thing but she says she shold only get the thyroxine free not everything else.

    What a saga eh?

    I am with some of you and more worried about a future when the retirement age goes up and up and the prospect of retiring gets firther away :shock:

    In franec they are striking over a propsed rise to 62 :?

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