Unleash The Nade Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Is it time that free prescription charges in Scotland were means tested and also certain mild drugs like paracetamol weren’t prescribed at all unless for serious conditions ? I saw on the news yesterday that’s NHS England were reviewing their current system as things such as Factor 50 sunscreen , gluten free biscuits and Colgate total control toothpaste were being prescribed in some instances , as well as medication like ibuprofen, which costs 7 times more to prescribe than it does to buy in a shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEADOWXI Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Before they were free at the point of use in Scotland I have taken a presciption to a chemist and been advised of the cheaper option of buying same/similar off shelf, even had the doctor say it as handing over the prescription, the prescription only being given as a note for what to ask the chemist. So the system can work to deal with cheaper options. Surely if it was measn tested that would see situations you have just criticised of a prescription charge 7 times the cost of the shelf price product being charged thus making the system more expensive overall, rather than free at the point of use prescription. How much would means testing cost, setting up the system, employing staff to adminster and check, running payments from chemists to NHS. Anf have once been in the situation years ago with 4 presciptions and only £20 in my pocket meaning I could only afford 3 - It's a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbykdy Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 I an understand those who are on long term repeat prescriptions or those who are unemployed/ on a low income receiving them, but why on earth should an employed person of good general health who can afford to pay for their prescription receive it for free? If there is a cost effective way to means test it then of course those who can pay should pay (this would include myself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 4 hours ago, Unleash The Nade said: Is it time that free prescription charges in Scotland were means tested and also certain mild drugs like paracetamol weren’t prescribed at all unless for serious conditions ? I saw on the news yesterday that’s NHS England were reviewing their current system as things such as Factor 50 sunscreen , gluten free biscuits and Colgate total control toothpaste were being prescribed in some instances , as well as medication like ibuprofen, which costs 7 times more to prescribe than it does to buy in a shop. I like the system as it is, we chose to buy our own paracetamol when the wife wasn't well but not everyone has the finances to do that. At least everyone feels like they're getting something back from the establishment up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Prescriptions are part of our Nhs system, there is absolutely no reason anything within national health should come with a charge at the point of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 I would consider if we can have have chemists distribute over the counter items free of charge if it costs us significantly more to prescribe these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbykdy Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, parsforlife said: Prescriptions are part of our Nhs system, there is absolutely no reason anything within national health should come with a charge at the point of use. The NHS is hugely underfunded, a part of that albeit small is people receiving free prescriptions who are financially able to pay for them. We can't keep saying we want things to change on one hand but no one is prepared to pay any extra on the other, something has to give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 7 minutes ago, bobbykdy said: I an understand those who are on long term repeat prescriptions or those who are unemployed/ on a low income receiving them, but why on earth should an employed person of good general health who can afford to pay for their prescription receive it for free? If there is a cost effective way to means test it then of course those who can pay should pay (this would include myself) How could you means tests when the cost of drugs varies from pennies to hundreds of thousands of pounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invergowrie arab Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 It would cost more to means test than the savings that would realise. These are facts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbykdy Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said: How could you means tests when the cost of drugs varies from pennies to hundreds of thousands of pounds? I suppose the only feasible way would be a flat charge as was done previously and you self declare when picking up your prescription in the same way you do with dental treatment on the NHS (not the actual check up) It would then be down to the individuals conscience whether they claimed they were entitled to it for free or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 The NHS is hugely underfunded, a part of that albeit small is people receiving free prescriptions who are financially able to pay for them. We can't keep saying we want things to change on one hand but no one is prepared to pay any extra on the other, something has to give. Correct, we need to fund it better. Not charge for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEADOWXI Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 10 minutes ago, parsforlife said: Prescriptions are part of our Nhs system, there is absolutely no reason anything within national health should come with a charge at the point of use. 5 minutes ago, bobbykdy said: The NHS is hugely underfunded, a part of that albeit small is people receiving free prescriptions who are financially able to pay for them. We can't keep saying we want things to change on one hand but no one is prepared to pay any extra on the other, something has to give. At what point to you stop with 'financially able to pay'.......... Prescriptions? GP Appointments - A wee tenner charge to book an appointment, giving priority to those that pay. A&E treatment - That X-ray ain't free, sure you want it? Why should your ability to pay effect your treatment, an X-ray, a scan, a GP consultation, setting a broken arm, a prescription. NHS - Free at the point of contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 16 minutes ago, ayrmad said: I like the system as it is, we chose to buy our own paracetamol when the wife wasn't well but not everyone has the finances to do that. At least everyone feels like they're getting something back from the establishment up here. Asda sells paracetamol for 19p a pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invergowrie arab Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 7 minutes ago, Cardinal Richelieu said: Asda sells paracetamol for 19p a pack. Maybe the NHS should buy it out of there? Unless people are comparing like with like on the likes of paracetamol prescription the comparisons are bollocks. How many of these paracetamol prescriptions are for a pack of 16 to relieve a headache. How many are for 300 at a time like my gran gets for chronic back pain. How many are in far more expensive liquid solutions like people can get in early stages of cancer treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, Cardinal Richelieu said: Asda sells paracetamol for 19p a pack. My wife only wanted paracetamol capsules, roughly 2 boxes a week from the local chemist at £1.40 a box, no idea what the supermarkets charge for them as the chemist and his staff couldn't have been more helpful if they tried, they got my cash and I tended to buy aftershaves and perfumes for gifts from them as well, I'm just glad that my brain operates in a manner that allows me to see things in a different light at times, much better than the almost automatic arsehole mode that I was in for most of my adult life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjc Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 11 minutes ago, parsforlife said: Correct, we need to fund it better. Not charge for it. My daughters treatment alone cost the equivalent of just over £130,000. I'd say the NHS needs to reassess what can be provided and what people should be expected to pay/contribute for. Health care and its associated costs have moved on considerably since the NHS inception in 1947. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 On things like paracetemol/ibuprofen etc, the associated charges mean that it costs the NHS a lot more than the cost of the drugs to prescribe it. For that reason, I tend to buy my own paracetemol even though my GP is happy to prescribe it. Charging is a tricky situation. While it was always the case that it was free to certain people when we had the flat charge, and the "season ticket" could save you a lot of money if you were on multiple medications, I know for a fact that even with the exceptions that were available, there were a lot of people who simply couldn't afford the prescriptions that they needed. We have a really good system here, and if people use it correctly there's no need to abolish free prescriptions. It just comes down to people being responsible about it if they can afford to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 15 minutes ago, Cardinal Richelieu said: Asda sells paracetamol for 19p a pack. You get mugs paying 10 x the cost of ibuprofen to get the Nurofen label for exactly the same product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbykdy Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 11 minutes ago, sjc said: My daughters treatment alone cost the equivalent of just over £130,000. I'd say the NHS needs to reassess what can be provided and what people should be expected to pay/contribute for. Health care and its associated costs have moved on considerably since the NHS inception in 1947. Sad to say but true, heart transplants etc were not even a consideration when the NHS was set up. It is now doing far more than was ever dreamed of but with a budget that hasn't moved with the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjc Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, bobbykdy said: Sad to say but true, heart transplants etc were not even a consideration when the NHS was set up. It is now doing far more than was ever dreamed of but with a budget that hasn't moved with the times. Totally agree. Expectations of what can and should be provided free of charge needs to be reassessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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