Pharmacist, how good a customer am I?
Discussion
I have just come back from one of my regular trips to our local pharmacy to drop off my prescription. Every couple of months it's a big one, related to diabetes and currently a hip and a knee problem.
Now I get free prescriptions because of the diabetes but today my prescription was for over 1000 tablets. I have boxes of them!Am I right in thinking that the pharmacist gets paid the list price of the drugs he is supplying, or do the NHS or someone supply him with all he needs and as he dispenses it's a fixed amount per prescription?
I have tried to find out, to no avail, but I'm certain one of my chums on here will know.
One of the drugs I take I found discounted on line at 92p each, and I have 182 of them......for instance.
Now I get free prescriptions because of the diabetes but today my prescription was for over 1000 tablets. I have boxes of them!Am I right in thinking that the pharmacist gets paid the list price of the drugs he is supplying, or do the NHS or someone supply him with all he needs and as he dispenses it's a fixed amount per prescription?
I have tried to find out, to no avail, but I'm certain one of my chums on here will know.
One of the drugs I take I found discounted on line at 92p each, and I have 182 of them......for instance.
the pharmacist will get paid according to prices set by the government, set out in a document called the "drug tariff". they will also get a fixed fee for dispensing each item. However, a few items are reimbursed at less than it costs the pharmacist to buy - i.e they make a loss!
If someone paid for their prescriptions, this money goes straight to the government, not the pharmacist.
If someone paid for their prescriptions, this money goes straight to the government, not the pharmacist.
pete a said:
I think this illustrates that free prescriptions should be means tested.
With regards to Diabetes it is policy to administer the necessary drugs free of charge rather than let people forego the drugs due to costs.Diabetes, if left untreated can cause serious medical conditions which in the end cost the the NHS far more than if they had just funded the Medications required for Diabetes management.
A case of a fence at the top of the cliff or an ambulance at the bottom. Which do you prefer?
zip929 said:
pete a said:
I think this illustrates that free prescriptions should be means tested.
With regards to Diabetes it is policy to administer the necessary drugs free of charge rather than let people forego the drugs due to costs.Fort Jefferson said:
zip929 said:
pete a said:
I think this illustrates that free prescriptions should be means tested.
With regards to Diabetes it is policy to administer the necessary drugs free of charge rather than let people forego the drugs due to costs.The paying/not paying for prescriptions system is mad. My brother with Down Syndrome had to pay for his prescriptions until he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, now everything is free. I'm pretty sure asthma patients have to pay.
Years ago someone in the know told me that the current system costs more to administer than the money it makes. The conclusion was that it is cheaper to make all prescriptions free to save money and this was being saved for a politically appropriate moment. All gossip of course
Years ago someone in the know told me that the current system costs more to administer than the money it makes. The conclusion was that it is cheaper to make all prescriptions free to save money and this was being saved for a politically appropriate moment. All gossip of course
The exemption scheme for prescriptions dates back to the 1960s if not before. The idea was that if anyone needed continuous medication because of an ongoing deficiency in the body then they would have free prescriptions. So a diabetic needing replacement of insulin would get free prescriptions and someone with thyroid deficiency needing thyroxine would also get free prescriptions.
People with conditions like asthma needing therapeutic treatment with drugs rather than a simple replacement of a naturally occurring hormone would have to pay for their prescriptions.
The main problem is that the exemption scheme is such a political hot potato that no government has had the nerve to reform it.
People with conditions like asthma needing therapeutic treatment with drugs rather than a simple replacement of a naturally occurring hormone would have to pay for their prescriptions.
The main problem is that the exemption scheme is such a political hot potato that no government has had the nerve to reform it.
Edited by Paul Dishman on Saturday 4th May 19:10
Antonia said:
I'm pretty sure asthma patients have to pay.
Yep.Antonia said:
Years ago someone in the know told me that the current system costs more to administer than the money it makes. The conclusion was that it is cheaper to make all prescriptions free to save money and this was being saved for a politically appropriate moment. All gossip of course
I wouldn't be surprised if that's true. By volume, 90% are free anyway. The system for checking those are valid probably costs £millions.I get free prescriptions because of an underachieving thyroid. I could use the card to get free prescriptions for anything else too. But I think that's morally wrong so I pay for any other ones I require.
Free prescriptions for lifetime ailments are a wonderful thing but the current system is flawed and should be specific to your condition.
Free prescriptions for lifetime ailments are a wonderful thing but the current system is flawed and should be specific to your condition.
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