Prescription costs are rising.

dreamdaisy
dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
edited 3. Mar 2013, 13:33 in Living with Arthritis archive
Now there's a surprise. :roll: If you are thinking about getting a pre-payment certificate then this is the time to sort it out before that cost rises too. DD
Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

Comments

  • DebraKelly
    DebraKelly Member Posts: 398
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Come and live with us in Sunny Scotland and you don't have to pay for your prescriptions. lol
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Neither do us old and knackered English patients :)

    It's a good point though and, in my younger days, I'd have been getting mine renewed.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • deedeeitsme
    deedeeitsme Member Posts: 321
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    When are they going up? Heard that were but can't remember when :oops: . Brain a bit foggy at the mo. Mine is due for renewal on 24th April. Can you renew before they actually run out?

    Thanks. Dee x
  • gilly1957
    gilly1957 Member Posts: 212
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Luckily I don't have to pay for mine as I'm on ESA,

    I also am on Thyroxinne and have been for too many years to remember and that makes me exempt as well....lucky me lol
  • lululu
    lululu Member Posts: 486
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I am pleased to say that after paying for pre-payment certs for a few years when this current one ends I will be 60 and no longer have to pay but I am so surprised that the good old Gov. have not put the exempt age up to ritirement age, I expect it will come in time though.
  • shandy4greenday
    shandy4greenday Member Posts: 344
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I too am on ESA and therefore am exempt but I am hoping one day I will be well enough to go back to work but this now worries me as I have never had to buy medication before as I was not on any.It's shocking how much I would end up having to pay if I do eventually manage to go back to work at a later time.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    They go up on 01 April, the usual date. I tried to organise my meds so that I could get away with forking out every now and again (you can get a three month option and I tried to stretch mine to the limit, i.e having six weeks or so without ordering anything :wink: ) but in the end it all got too complicated so I'm back to renewing mine around the 26th March. I'm not surprised that it's not that heavily advertised: meds are expensive and you can save a good deal of money if you regularly need more than two items per prescription.

    I don't know if you can renew before your current one expires but I wouldn't mind betting you can't simply because life is never that kind. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • shandy4greenday
    shandy4greenday Member Posts: 344
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    So does that mean DD if I eventually manage to go back to work and I got an annual certificate that is the only price I pay for the year to collect my medication,no other extra charges.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Yup. I currently pay 10.40 per month and as my average prescription contains eleven items that's a big saving. When I renew in March 2014 it will be charged at the rate starting on 01 April this year. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • kathe
    kathe Member Posts: 183
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    So sorry to hear that you most pay it your self. Her in norway we pay four our medication and doctor apointment up to 2000 nowegian kr. And after that all blue medication ordered from the doctor is free and every doctor apointment is free... All medication four arteritis and medication you need over a long period comes in under this blue deal.
    Hope you get out more medication before The 1 then.
    Best wisches .
    Kathe
  • shandy4greenday
    shandy4greenday Member Posts: 344
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I think it is really bad that a lot of other countries get free prescriptions and we don't,I agree with about how it is run in Norway like kathe said that certain conditions and medication they get free from the doctor as some countries get all medication free it's about time it was changed this country should be in-line with others whether your on high wage or not if you require a lot of medication your health should be more important.Everything seems to be about money in this country stopping all the important things without thinking how it effects peoples lives and health.
  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    thanks to c do not have to pay for next 5 years yay for me another silver lining save a fortune
    good reminder dd it so expensive wonder why people with diabeties get free but arthiritis still have to pay so wrong

    val
    val
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    It seems that those with life-threatening disease are exempt whereas arthritis merely ruins it. All people should pay for medication, that's both fair and reasonable and in an ideal world if everyone did the costs could be reduced but I realise that is never going to happen. The price of something fall? Outrageos nonsense! :lol: If you are exempt due to cancer or diabetes then those meds should be free but charges should apply to meds needed for other conditions. This is, however, a thorny subject and, as long as those who don't pay continue outnumber those that do then nothing will change. :lol: I've been a milch cow for the drugs companies all my life, they won't half miss me when I peg it! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • lululu
    lululu Member Posts: 486
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Nice to see you Vall :D I have nine items each month so I have saved a lot. I did the same as DD I made my last few last a little longer by saving a few tabs each month by missing them and I forget a lot too, I remembered when my body reminded me :cry: I did that as I realised that my pre-payment would run out and leave me with one month still to pay but I am pleased that is over now because as DD says it get's complicated.
  • gilly1957
    gilly1957 Member Posts: 212
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I don't understand why it should only be free for diabetes or cancer.

    I have to take thyroxinne every day to replace what my thyroid gland should be making for itself....but doesn't, without this medication I would be seriously ill.....
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello DD and all,

    My PPC will be due for renewal soon so I checked on the cost having seen DD's post.

    It seems that pre-payment certificate costs are not going up and will stay the same for 2013.

    http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/03/prescription-charges/

    Tilly
  • scozzie
    scozzie Member Posts: 333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi all

    I find what's exempt and what isn't puzzling. As an asthmatic I was puzzled as to why it wasn't included too, in Australia, where I come from originally, subutomol (ventolin) was the only prescription drug which could be purchased over the counter albeit at a higher price.

    Tilly I understood people with under active thyroids received free drugs, whilst those with over active thyroids had to pay.

    On another note, as a relative newcomer to the UK (I've been here 11 years now), with my mild asthma needing on average two prescriptions a month I was pleased to discover the prepayment certificate, although I was extremely annoyed/angry that it took 12 months before anyone even bothered to mention it's existence to me; and that only come about when a pharmacist came to speak to me about one of my scripts and then queried why I didn't have a prepayment certificate as I had five scripts on that occasion. My answer was that I knew nothing about them! To compound matters, my then girlfriend's daughter worked at a pharmacy!

    Cheers
    Scozzie
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I received my renewal notice yesterday just as we left the house and was pleasantly surprised to find (as Tilly has discovered) that my monthly instalments are staying at 10.40 (individual prescription costs are gong up to 7.85) so this is for sure the time to invest in one if the costs are beneficial. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben