Prescriptions

[HFJL2020]

GOVERMENT TO FORCE OVER 60S TO PAY FOR PRESCRIPTONS

[bednobs]

nobody is forced to get a prescription

[sunny-dave]

Try getting a POM without one, bednobs

[bednobs]

yes, but no-one is forced to get a prescription fiiled

[sunny-dave]

But how do you get the medicine which you need then?

If it's a POM then the only alternative to getting the prescription filled is to rob the pharmacy.

[barry1010]

For as long as I can remember men and women got free prescriptions at 60 even though the retirement age for men was 65.
This will not be popular if Boris goes ahead with this idea. Women in this age bracket are already resentful about the rise in age for state pension.

[bobbinwales]

Wonder when gulliver1 will spot this. I'll be 60 soon and would be happy to pay but as somany are exempt and some come out with loads of stuff I like the idea of a £1 min charge for all.

[carrot99]

Maybe if the under 60s in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland paid for their prescriptions, the over 60s in England could retain their free prescriptions.

[barry1010]

Bob, people see me walking out with a sack load of prescriptions without making a payment. Some will be for the elderly who live with me; some for my wife who is exempt from paying due to a medical condition and mine will be paid for by pre-payment certificate that is on my pharmacy records.
None is because of low income

[barry1010]

Another big change that has had a big effect on the cost of prescriptions. My wife is a good example. She has several prescription drugs that she has taken long term and probably will do for life. She used to be prescribed up to 6 months worth. So one payment covered 6 months of one drug.
Now the doctor has no choice but to prescribe only one month at a time so that one drug would cost her 6 times as much over 6 months.
She avoids this by pre-payment certificate but not everyone can do this.

[Old_Geezer]

No UK citizen should pay for prescriptions. NHS services are meant to be free at the point of delivery; and by free we mean paid for from public funding. (Mostly general taxation, some National Insurance.)

Only a party that feel sure they will lose the next GE would try to anger the pensioner vote by even suggesting it, so it sounds unlikely. (Recall that pensioners tend to be on low income and are the group most likely to be in need of prescription drugs. Double whammy.)

[barry1010]

OG, people currently 66 and under are not pensioners

[Boto]

In Wales all prescriptions are free but a lot of people take advantage of it. I agree that if you can buy an item otc you shouldn’t get it on prescription. I think it would be better if everyone paid, say £1.50, per script.

[bednobs]

there is a third option sunny dave - pay for the prescription!

[Hopkirk]

I was surprised to find I didn't have to pay when I hit 60.

[davebro]

I don't think this can happen while all Scot & Welsh have free prescriptions at any age.

[Hopkirk]

How do the Scots and the Welsh pay for this?

[davebro]

From English tax receipts!

[emmie]

i would struggle to pay for my prescription meds. I have at least 7 different meds for a variety of reasons and would be crippled financially every month if this comes into effect. If they were 1 pound each item, which they are not currently then maybe i could afford it, but the current state pension isn't great at the best of times. The retirement age is 66 currently, as i retired last year once i had turned that corner.

[emmie]

if they bring it in, then i can see those who are exempt now stopping taking the meds, because they simply won't be able to afford it.

[Cloverjo]

Emmie, you could get a prepayment certificate for £108 per year.

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs