At last

[LondonManc]

Some way of subsidising the patient's regular shop might work better but I'm not sure how that could work. Calculate the differential in shopping bills on average and issue vouchers? Issue the same prescriptions but only to people receiving other benefits, as an indicator who needs the help?

Tesco could pioneer a scheme where they can be prescribed a voucher for Tesco paracetamol rather than the cost of it. True cost to the NHS would be negligible because Tesco could use it as a marketing stunt.

[vetran]

Love how they put health tourists and prescription aspirin side-by-side. Ironically while the former gets all the political attention, I bet the latter costs far more. Paracetamol costs the NHS something like £8 IIRC as opposed to 30p in Tesco.

Not quite so dramatic a difference and with Health tourism estimated at £2billion (which is a bit low in my opinion) and this wide ranging restriction will supposedly save £1B. I suspect the 16 pill aspirin you buy in Tescos is less than the 50 you probably get on prescription. Not sure what NICE have been doing.

NHS wasting £31million a year on ‘free’ drugs | Scotland | News | Express.co.uk

Doctors dished out almost 2.7 million prescriptions for paracetamol at a cost of £10.88million to the NHS. Prescriptions for co-codamol cost taxpayers £15.57million last year, or the equivalent of £5.59 per prescription.

The NHS also spent £3.09million on 2.4 million prescriptions for aspirin and £1.9million on 73,940 prescriptions for ibuprofen.

This works out at £1.28 per prescription for aspirin and £2.71 for ibuprofen. These can be bought from Tesco for as little as 85p and 30p respectively.

[vetran]

Tesco could pioneer a scheme where they can be prescribed a voucher for Tesco paracetamol rather than the cost of it. True cost to the NHS would be negligible because Tesco could use it as a marketing stunt.

combine it with a benefits charge card and job's a good un.

[northernladyuk]

Tesco could pioneer a scheme where they can be prescribed a voucher for Tesco paracetamol rather than the cost of it. True cost to the NHS would be negligible because Tesco could use it as a marketing stunt.

The cost to the NHS would still be significantly more than 30p for a pack of 16 (19p from Aldi and Asda). People really can buy their own.

[LondonManc]

combine it with a benefits charge card and job's a good un.

True - you wouldn't need to tie it in to Tesco unless they wanted you to. Get Sainsbury, Asda, Co-op, etc. involved to cover villages across the country. Flag a free paracetamol 16-pack on the card and they can claim it at whichever store they choose.

[NotAllThere]

If it's 16p for paracetamol and you pay for prescriptions, surely that's a profit for the NHS.

[VectraMan]

Love how they put health tourists and prescription aspirin side-by-side. Ironically while the former gets all the political attention, I bet the latter costs far more. Paracetamol costs the NHS something like £8 IIRC as opposed to 30p in Tesco.

If there's the slightest bit of truth in that then the question should be why isn't the NHS buying its paracetamol from Tescos.

[vetran]

If it's 16p for paracetamol and you pay for prescriptions, surely that's a profit for the NHS.

point is that the people who get these prescriptions are not paying for them so to them its free money.

[VectraMan]

If it's 16p for paracetamol and you pay for prescriptions, surely that's a profit for the NHS.

Indeed. It's spreading the cost. I know the drugs I take cost about £3.50, but I have to pay £8.40.

BTW Paracetamol costs the NHS 92p for 32:

https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formular...ns/paracetamol

[northernladyuk]

If it's 16p for paracetamol and you pay for prescriptions, surely that's a profit for the NHS.

Paracetamol will be being prescribed for people who don't pay for prescriptions.

Prescription takes GP time. Pharmacists are reimbursed for professional time. Etc.