Prescription Charges

[Rod Newman]

Just wondering if anyone has and advice or experience of allowances etc for prescription charges when someone is on permanent medication. With prescription charges of £7.40 per item per month this soon mounts up and can hardly be classed as a luxury.

[Judo]

Hi Rod.
Have you thought about the pre payment prescription certificate? We have this, works out a lot cheaper. Costs us £28 for three months.

[langerbridge]

You can pay via pre payment which if you spend more than 2 prescriptions a month may help. Have a look at direct.gov for more details.

[kallis3]

I had a prepayment certificate - did a twelve monthly one which works out just over a tenner a month I think for ten months.

[Judo]

Jan. Can I ask, did you pay that monthly?

[Rod Newman]

OK, i'll look at that option, I take it that it cant be included as an allowance then?

[langerbridge]

Yes under dental & other healthcare costs.

[Judo]

I have £26pm down for medical and dental. The pre payment is much cheaper though if you are on regular medication!

[Rod Newman]

Ok Langerbridge and Judo, very useful information. Costs are currently only for one item per month so a prepayment might not work out cost effective. It is a shame that the DRs wont give me three or even six months worth of medication at a time, it would work out much cheaper for me, but alas not raise the revenue for the NHS I suppose.

[kallis3]

Judo - yes I paid it monthly.

I claimed for it seperately and it was allowed.

[Judo]

I will ask about that Jan next time I renew. My OH is on 3 different medications but I thought a one off payment had to be made to cover the year!

[Judo]

Doesn't look like you would be any better off Rod. Two or more prescriptions monthly would make it worth your while I think. Put down what you spend!

[ginger3232]

One of the other issues about giving 4/6 months medication in advance - if your dose of medication changes then these remaining old drugs have to be discarded - they are NOT allowed to re issue them. The cost of unused medication runs in to billions of pounds.

You could of course move to scotland

[Judo]

Exactly the reason GP won't go beyond a months prescription for my OH. His BP is all over the place so doc changes meds left, right and centre!!

[c.j]

my hubby has a prepayment cert. which is allowed for but i have recently got one as my meds have changed so I have included this amount in my new i and e form on my annual review. At one time you could only buy a 3 month or yearly cert. but the last years one I was able to pay monthly at £11 per month which is more affordable than £100 lump sum