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BirgitBRONZE Member
had her carpal tunnel surgery already thanks v much
4,145 posts
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (UK)


Posted:
I just got told by my pharmacist that from July I can have over-the counter drugs for free if I want to, because they are introducing that for people with exemptions from prescription fees.

Has anyone heard of that? Is it just Scotland?

I've just tried and find something on it on the web, but Google only comes up with tons of pros and cons for prescription fees... it seems though they're mostly doing it because doctors' time is used up by people with a simple headache who go for a prescription to save the 50 p for the paracetamol, which I think is ridiculous. I would have never thought of abusing help I get given for having a chronic illness like that! Who (unless they can't afford it, fair enough!) wants to sit in a stuffy waiting room and have an appointment when they could just pop into the chamists? And why don't people feel bad about making the NHS pay for an unnecessary consultation that someone else might actually need at that moment?

Well, if anyone knows something about this, and what things it includes (migraine and allergies were mentioned which is good!) please post. Or of course if you want to discuss prescription fees in general wink

"vices are like genitals - most are ugly to behold, and yet we find that our own are dear to us."
(G.W. Dahlquist)

Owner of Dragosani's left half


ChimneyBRONZE Member
member
85 posts
Location: Scotland (UK)


Posted:
Basically alot of wannabe doctors who fail to get into medicine at uni put pharmacy as an insurance and so a small few end up taking that route. Because their deepseeded need to be doctors pharmacy in the UK has started to move more towards 'clinical pharmacy' in which the pharmacists are getting more training so they can spend their time, instead of concentrating on better things, diagnosing, prescribing and giving people prescriptions.

If you want 'free drugs' you can probably get them as long as they are for thing like headache, cold, flu, stomach bug, morning after problems and such. A great number of pharmacists are getting this training and if you just go in and say 'Oh, I have a terrible headache, ouch ouch' they will assess you and possibly give you drugs.

In Scotland I believe when you are in education you get free drugs anyway. I do.

Chimney

dani_babybooSILVER Member
addict
667 posts
Location: Cannock, staffordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
i dont think it would happen for basic parecetemol but maybe hayfever tablets as they can cost a fortune the amount you buy each week, childrens calpol and neurefen maybe as they cost a bit too, and other more needed medicines such as athletes foot stuff, headlice stuff for kids at school ect

well i hope you get what im saying

some over the counter stuff costs quite a bit and when you are on benefits it is a help to get help with these

now i work but also get nhs exemption because i have a family and am on low wages, but i only use it for things such as my pesription drugs i have to get for my hips and tummy or if i had a dental appointment or eye test

well you know what i mean

for headaches dont be lazy it costs less than 2 quid for good headache tablets but for more important things it is a good thing

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NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
In the US, even if you have good heath insurance, you usually have to pay a nominal fee ($5) to get anything. It seems like a good idea to me since I know people who simply schedule doctor's appointments every day to have something to complain about.

I think a nominal fee with the option of waiving that fee for those that can't afford it seems fair.

Keep in mind, nothing's free. For you guys, you're just paying more taxes so you don't have to pay more later. For us guys, health insurance costs will go up if less money is generated at the time.

I guess it really comes down to "who is paying for who to get heathcare".

1) Should the rich pay more for the same healthcare?
2) Should the sick pay more for the same heathcare?
3) Should the employed pay more for the same heathcare?
4) Should everyone pay the same for heathcare?

In the UK it seems to be more 1 and 3, whereas in the US it seems to be more 2 and 4.

Each system charges everyone differently. It all costs money which comes directly from the consumer.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
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zamiriiBRONZE Member
newbie
44 posts
Location: South Florida, USA


Posted:
I wouldn't mind if prescriptions were cheaper in the U.S. definately.. My brother takes several expensive ones for his epilepsy and right now he's on COBRA - which is more expensive anyways

Did u know the average pharmacist in the US STARTS at over $65,000 with most in the 75,000 - 90,000 range?

Every Day I add another name to the list of people who piss me off


dani_babybooSILVER Member
addict
667 posts
Location: Cannock, staffordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
didnt think about the fact of taxes

i pay nearly £300 a month in work tax and national insurance, i pay £140 a month council tax although i live in a flat with 36 other flats

and then people have to pay for dental care and private health insurance, funerals insurance, road tax and pescriptions

and im on a low band of payments

now i think this is leading into another topic but still almost same
also nhs are cutting there staff

so where is the money going to???

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BirgitBRONZE Member
had her carpal tunnel surgery already thanks v much
4,145 posts
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (UK)


Posted:
Well, as I said, I can't believe how someone would waste a doctor's appointment for a packet of aspirin, but apparently that has been happening quite a lot. I also can't see how you'd WANT to sit in the stuffy waiting room for ages probably catching everyone else's cold when you could just spend a pound, but again, that's what people with prescription exemptions seem to have been doing...

Was only wondering if anyone knew what was going on - I won't complain if I get anti-allergy stuff for free, though I haven't complained about paying for it before either... I suppose though that with what I've read about people booking appointments for it, the NHS must at the end save money by just giving the over the counter stuff away.

"vices are like genitals - most are ugly to behold, and yet we find that our own are dear to us."
(G.W. Dahlquist)

Owner of Dragosani's left half


dani_babybooSILVER Member
addict
667 posts
Location: Cannock, staffordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
yer it is ridiculous but ive been to the docs before when my son was a baby and not well and they wouldnt even pescribe calpol they said mild painkillers cant be pescribed

why dont all doctors just make that clear and people wont hassle them

and also people who have to have pescription drugs for quite a long time doesnt it waste time booking an appointment to see a doctor everytime you need to get new pescription like when you have asthma, its silly they should have a different way to get a repeat pescription like maybe pharmacists having more training to be able to repeat the pesciptions

there is lots of ways they could improve the costs and stop the ignorant ones not paying

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