28 day repeat prescriptions

[Jakes Daddy]

If you drive to Wales and get your prescription dispensed its free!

Yes, I've just been told that. Just been to lunch with some friends from Wales who are visiting today; and had my little moan at them; and they told me that in Wales prescriptions are free !!! WTF is that all about then ?

[Clog II The Avenger]

If you drive to Wales and get your prescription dispensed its free!

[AtW]

Look, its like this: NHS is in deep financial doodo, despite increase in NI and whatnot, so Brown puts them in position of self-financing or they get cuts, much like he did with Scamera Partnerships - he made them (and magistrates by the way) dependent on fines, hence they have vested interest to get as much money as possible, same with hospitals - they are increasing charges for patient and even staff car parking, prescriptions increase too etc.

Why? Look at NHS costs like £20 bln for bloody network and similar rip offs must be happening in other areas

[MrsGoof]

I grow mine in the Greenhouse,

err I think I've said too much

[TheMonkey]

I buy my medication online usually. You can get it shipped here pretty damn cheap.

[Mordac]

JD - I occasionally receive offers of "cheap medication" via email. Would you like me to forward them on?

[The Lone Gunman]

It worked for me, but my vet is an amenable type. I explained I worked away and it was difficult to turn up every time blah blah.

Point out to yours the things you said above about the inconvenience to him and suggest a little white lie. I am sure he will go for it.

[Jakes Daddy]

Ah, I like it !
Mine is also asthma, so maybe I'm all of a sudden finding that the 2 doses of Serotide each day is just not enough, and I'm actually taking 4 doses a day - nudge nudge, wink wink

I might give that a go at my next review (next month)

[The Lone Gunman]

Have a word with your vet.
Mine acceptes <ahem>my word</ahem> that I need a lot more medication than I actualy do so will write a script for 1 month that will actualy last me 6.

That is if it is possible. Mine is for asthma which varies in severity.

[Jakes Daddy]

Calm down and take your medication.





That's better.

I would do, but I can't afford it ! I'm going to skip todays to make it last longer !

[DimPrawn]

Calm down and take your medication.





That's better.

[Jakes Daddy]

Today I will mostly be moaning about the fecking state of the NHS and a new "28 day repeat prescription" rule that has been introduced

Prescription charges, as we all know, are quite high - currently £6.65 per item (I accept the fact that some items actually cost way more than this if you were to buy them over the counter (if you were allowed to), but others do not). Up until recently, GP's would prescribe your medication in 'bulk' (within reason, say 3 months worth). Given that it is still 1 item, 3 months worth will still cost you £6.65.
This is a good system, as it keeps the cost of prescriptions down for the patient, and saves you badgering the GP/surgery staff every time you need more.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding as to the reason behind paying for prescriptions is about making a fair equal 'token gesture' contribution to the cost of the drugs; and that the bulk of the cost is picked up by the NHS from our NI contributions ??

My circumstances are that I need to take 2 lots of medicine (prescription items) each day. My GP would prescribe 3 months worth at a time, with a review every 6 months. At the 3 month interval between reviews I could just phone the surgery and order another repeat prescription. This system was costing me £13.30 every 3 months, so £53.20 for the year. Perfect

But now some penny pinching bean counter in the NHS has decided to change all this !
Basically, GPs can only prescribe 28 days worth of each item at a time. Therefore, it will now cost me £13.30 every month, or £159.60 for the year
Added to this the fact that I now have to phone the surgery every month for my repeat prescription which will be adding to their already heavy workload

I can buy a pre payment certificate, which will cost me about £93 for the year; but its £93 I have to stump up in full

For me, its more of an inconvenience and a good excuse to have a damn good moan. But there are some people in the community who genuinely will not be able to afford this ridiculous system.

The excuses (sorry, reasons) for the change published on the leaflet is that its all about wastage - giving people less drugs at a time will mean people wont stockpile it and waste it. That is utter bull ! This new rule affects repeat prescriptions only; therefore people who need to take medication on a repeated basis. If you need to take the medicine, you need to take it. If you have it in the house, and you need to take it, you will take it ! Simple ! You wouldn't not take it would you ?? Please someone tell me I'm wrong ???

What I think this will actually do is encourage people who are less able to afford this new system to take less of their medication to make it last longer. For example, one of my meds I need to take twice a day. I could choose to only take it in the morning to make it last 2 months. Wrong I know, and personally I wont be doing that; but you can see it happening. And of course, the result of that is that these people will make themselves ill, have to visit their GP ......

How can these bean counters be so shortsighted ....