NHS cutting back on prescriptions?

NHS cutting back on prescriptions?

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Discussion

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,690 posts

195 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39413915

Whilst it seems a drop in the NHS ocean I don't understand why GPs prescribe stuff that is available without prescription?

On R5L this morning a mum was insisting that her daughter should get Gluten-free pasta and bread on prescription otherwise she was being discriminated against in comparison to her friends.

r11co

6,244 posts

229 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
On R5L this morning a mum was insisting that her daughter should get Gluten-free pasta and bread on prescription otherwise she was being discriminated against in comparison to her friends.
rofl

Didn't hear the interview, but maybe she should sue someone? Mother-nature perhaps, or whatever deity she believes in?

jjlynn27

7,935 posts

108 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
All those are from the times when they were not available / not affordable without prescription. I think it is a good idea to have them removed from NHS prescriptions if you can buy them cheaper elsewhere.

Pieman68

4,264 posts

233 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
As a diabetic I get free prescriptions. I currently am on 4 different medications which I get FOC through medical exemption

When having pain issues with my ankles the doctor offered me ibuprofen on prescription. I was also offered corsodyl on prescription through the dentist.

I politely declined and said that I would purchase them myself. Part of the issue is that the medical profession offer these quite openly.

I have also been given prescription (when I used to pay for them) to be told by the chemist that there is a cheaper option to buy over the counter

I'm afraid there is an issue with some in the medical profession as it's not their money, and this is something that has to change!

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

218 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39413915

Whilst it seems a drop in the NHS ocean I don't understand why GPs prescribe stuff that is available without prescription?

On R5L this morning a mum was insisting that her daughter should get Gluten-free pasta and bread on prescription otherwise she was being discriminated against in comparison to her friends.
I don't understand this either.

Back when this stuff was hard to get hold of and niche - yes. But these days, gluten free food is available in major supermarkets, high-street shops and on the internet.

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,690 posts

195 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
There's possibly a wider question here....

Some people's lives are disadvantaged through no fault of their own. be this a physical disability a mental disability...whatever. What level of equality should the State aim to achieve?

If you can eat other food apart from those containing Gluten than IMHO you shouldn't expect the State to pay for GF-free alternatives. It's bonkers.

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,690 posts

195 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Moonhawk said:
I don't understand this either.

Back when this stuff was hard to get hold of and niche - yes. But these days, gluten free food is available in major supermarkets, high-street shops and on the internet.
The point that the R5l mum was making was that it was more expensive than non-GF food, whereas on prescription it was free for her.

[I wonder how many people who pay for their prescriptions choose to have it prescribed for them rather than buying it at the Supermarket]

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

218 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
The point that the R5l mum was making was that it was more expensive than non-GF food, whereas on prescription it was free for her.
There are plenty of foods available that don't contain gluten (not to mention the ability to make it herself). She doesn't have to buy manufactured gluten free analogues of pasta, bread etc. That is a choice she is making.


sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Huge numbers of people don't pay for prescriptions - the over-60s, the under-16s (18 if in education), pregnant or had a baby in the last 12 months, and lots of medical exceptions or if you receive various benefits. So not surprising that people would take the free option instead of paying for over the counter.

Quite a few things on the BBC article's list are prescription-only though. Things like co-proxamol look to have been lumped in there too, which has been a long-standing problem as it was withdrawn over a decade ago.

aw51 121565

4,771 posts

232 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
I've worked in GP Surgeries (as a receptionist), and many parents don't like being told that they can buy Calpol for kiddo over the counter (or give him/her children's paracetamol instead) rather than us prescribing Calpol for free for the kid. I guess having to buy medicine for the offspring rather than having it on free prescriptions eats into the cigarette and tattoo funds somewhat...

These patients are a minority though. And this was happening in 2010, it's not a new thing. Individual GP Practices have some say as to what they will or will not prescribe, CCGs have input into the process as well and sometimes NHS England have their say (I suspect this is where the issue around GPs no longer prescribing gluten-free foods has come from, from memory).

Back to my first point, as someone who pays for my prescriptions why would I go to see my GP and ask for paracetamol when I can get a pack of 16 for 24p at the supermarket? Even if I had free prescriptions, I'd still not have a mentality of "the world owes me a living" and I'd buy the damn things.

paulrockliffe

15,639 posts

226 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
I wonder how many people who pay for their prescriptions choose to have it prescribed for them rather than buying it at the Supermarket
I suspect that's entirely the issue. The opposition voice on R4 this morning said they agreed in principle so long as it wasn't applied to those that get free prescriptions. It isn't people paying £12 a prescription that are being prescribed 16p paracetamol is it.

Any change that isn't applied to those that get free prescriptions will save next to nothing. I don't necessarily agree that the NHS shouldn't fund things for people that they can pay for themselves in all cases, but there needs to be practical consideration taken of the fact that paracetamol costs 16p in Tesco, but costs a lot of money to prescribe. Why not allow Tesco to vend paracetamol etc for free at the GPs in exchange for letting them brand the machine. Would need some sort of token system to control for overdosing etc, but should be simple to work out.

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
There should be uproar that these things are still available "free" rather than them being cut.

Every little helps, but this is the tip of the iceberg. Serious cuts are needed in a whole host of unnecessary areas. 4x the figure noted could be saved by simply not funding IVF on the NHS. So together, half a billion a year stripped from the cost base. There are colossal amounts of money being spent on stuff that should not be covered from tax receipts.

Countdown

Original Poster:

39,690 posts

195 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
<snip> 4x the figure noted could be saved by simply not funding IVF on the NHS. So together, half a billion a year stripped from the cost base.<snip>
That's what i was alluding to. At what point do we say "Sorry, we don't think that's something that the State should provide. If you want it you're on your own..."

Murph7355

37,651 posts

255 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Murph7355 said:
<snip> 4x the figure noted could be saved by simply not funding IVF on the NHS. So together, half a billion a year stripped from the cost base.<snip>
That's what i was alluding to. At what point do we say "Sorry, we don't think that's something that the State should provide. If you want it you're on your own..."
Indeed.

We're past the point where we should have. Someone should simply take the full list of treatments provided with the cost against each and work through it top to bottom.

JQ

5,692 posts

178 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Countdown said:
There's possibly a wider question here....

Some people's lives are disadvantaged through no fault of their own. be this a physical disability a mental disability...whatever. What level of equality should the State aim to achieve?

If you can eat other food apart from those containing Gluten than IMHO you shouldn't expect the State to pay for GF-free alternatives. It's bonkers.
I'm a Ginger, I wonder if I could demand my factor 50 suncream on prescription?

baldy1926

2,136 posts

199 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
I have 3 tablets a day which if i dont take will land me in hospital. I forgot one day and was in hospital withing 20 hours so i can't not have then.
The doctors are reluctant to give me more than 1 months supply at a time so the cost soon mounts up.
My illness is not on the exemption list so i buy a yearly prescription it saves me loads i'm certain other people could do that if they could be bothered.

jjlynn27

7,935 posts

108 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
Countdown said:
Murph7355 said:
<snip> 4x the figure noted could be saved by simply not funding IVF on the NHS. So together, half a billion a year stripped from the cost base.<snip>
That's what i was alluding to. At what point do we say "Sorry, we don't think that's something that the State should provide. If you want it you're on your own..."
Indeed.

We're past the point where we should have. Someone should simply take the full list of treatments provided with the cost against each and work through it top to bottom.
How did we get to 1/2b? I was under impression that (in 2011) the IVF was costing NHS 79m.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Pieman68 said:
I'm afraid there is an issue with many in public organisations as it's not their money, and this is something that has to change!
EFA. Real bugbear of mine. If it were their own (small) business, they wouldn't be spaffing money like the world is ending tomorrow.

jjlynn27

7,935 posts

108 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Pieman68 said:
As a diabetic I get free prescriptions. I currently am on 4 different medications which I get FOC through medical exemption

When having pain issues with my ankles the doctor offered me ibuprofen on prescription. I was also offered corsodyl on prescription through the dentist.

I politely declined and said that I would purchase them myself. Part of the issue is that the medical profession offer these quite openly.

I have also been given prescription (when I used to pay for them) to be told by the chemist that there is a cheaper option to buy over the counter

I'm afraid there is an issue with some in the medical profession as it's not their money, and this is something that has to change!
It doesn't work like that at all. They have (very strict) guidelines of what they should and shouldn't 'offer'.

Evanivitch

19,808 posts

121 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Moonhawk said:
Countdown said:
The point that the R5l mum was making was that it was more expensive than non-GF food, whereas on prescription it was free for her.
There are plenty of foods available that don't contain gluten (not to mention the ability to make it herself). She doesn't have to buy manufactured gluten free analogues of pasta, bread etc. That is a choice she is making.
And incredibly difficult when you have a child that wants to eat "normal" food, not to mention that we eat a lot of gluten foods because they are incredibly convenient. You're also dramatically cutting down on the carb options for a child, effectively reducing them to rice and potatoes.

I think for adults it is reasonable to expect them to cover the choice of buying gluten free alternatives, but the free provision should remain for minors.