Forum Topic

Prescription Charges - a question

With the NHS now telling Doctors to prescribe non-branded versions of medication, some of which are a poor reflection on the original, why do they issue prescriptions for something like asprin which cost a fraction of the presriptoon charge? Surely patients could just purchase such items thus saving the NHS money?

Jean F Fernandez ● 3839d17 Comments

It has become commonly prescribed.

Graham Weeks ● 3765d

http://www.webmd.boots.com/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d-deficiencySince this is something that we were taking as a supplement over the counter it cannot be now the carers are giving the medication - unless it is given under prescription.

Philippa Bond ● 3765d

Unfortunately many people think that it is free.  It isn't - it all comes at a cost to further generations.It's amazing how blinkered we can be to marketing and the thought of something that might be "free".

Philippa Bond ● 3831d

For many years doctors have been encouraged to prescribe generically and so reduce costs. I have full confidence in the efficacy of generics. Many people exempt from charges will expect the GP to prescribe even cheap medicines available over the counter. The attitude is one of having paid one's taxes one has an entitlement.

Graham Weeks ● 3833d

Dr is aware of NICE advice but thinks it preferable not to change medication.

Philippa Bond ● 3833d

Aspirin 300mg dispersible tablets 32 1.25 Aspirin 300mg dispersible tablets 100 3.91 These are Drug Tariff prices currently paid by the NHS to pharmacies for prescription supply. This bears little reality to the cost to the pharmacy when Joe Public can buy 32 tablets for 49p from Boots. Only about 10% of scripts bear charges in England,the only UK country where anyone has to pay. If a prescribed drug is not a Prescription Only Medicine and can be bought for less than the prescription charge than a decent pharmacist will inform the patient. The pharmacist knows the price. Your GP may not know. uk

Graham Weeks ● 3835d

1) the NHS makes a "profit" every time a GP/Nurse prescribes aspirin / paracetamol ) IF you pay Prescription charges.ie 100 soluble aspirin - £ 4.28 (2014).However the GP can also prescribe 3 asthma inhalers @ £30 each on one script - you now make a "profit".Scripts are free for over-65s, children under 16, and chronic diseaswes such as Diabetes.PS Aspirin is NOT recommended as an alternative to Warfarin - if your GP has prescribed this, ask them if they have read NICE anticoagulant advice ( on NICE website)http://cks.nice.org.uk/anticoagulation-oralhttps://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/offer-anticoagulants-instead-of-aspirin-for-stroke-prevention

Nick Robinson ● 3836d

For the housebound it is likely to be on prescription and home delivered with the rest of the prescription drugs.  What interests me is what sort of price the NHS pays for aspirin.  It shouldn't be expensive because it always seems to be the cheaper difficult to swallow round tablets rather than the oblong shape which we find easier.Aspirin is also used as an alternative to Warfarin as a blood thinner.I hope this is clearer than whatever I typed earlier!

Philippa Bond ● 3836d

"With the NHS now telling Doctors to prescribe non-branded versions of medication, some of which are a poor reflection on the original"Sorry but this is complete nonsense - for prescription medicines, generics (with the exception of biosimilars) are identical to the branded product and are only licensed for use on this basis. Biosimilars give exactly the same clinical benefit but are made a different way to the original.

Ed Yelland ● 3836d

Branded medicines are a bit of a con. We don't take aspirin usually - but need it occasionally - so we've bought an "own make" small pack from Boots and use that instead of the expensive branded kind - I object to paying inflated prices for medicines, as I'm an OAP!

Gerry Tan ● 3836d

I wonder what the price charged for aspirin is when it is prescribed?  Not the price of the prescription but since it can be bought so cheaply over the counter in some places where the price stands in that great ballpark.  Are the NHS paying too much?Computers are being used increasingly to stop us ordering too much medication at the same time.  I would like to see more effort made to help us to organise our medication so that it is easier to manage.  We are initially prescribed medication in different months and it would be a good idea to help us to only have to order it all at one time.The doctor prescribing "2-3 tablets" has caused the pharmacy and its computer a problem.  Their answer is to presume that you would take two half of the month and three the other half of the month.  That's unlikely to happen because we are people.

Philippa Bond ● 3839d

We find aspirin difficult to get out of the packet so I fill one of those pill boxes marked with the days of the week that our parent can open.  Carers aren't allowed to give pills from this.  They are allowed to give pills from the original blister pack but prefer to give pills from the pharmacist's blister pack which has all the pills for each day in one blister.  There is also a written description of each pill - colour, shape, markings etc.  You just have to hope that they have got it right.A lot of elderly have their medication delivered to them direct from the pharmacy as they are housebound and so would want a full month's pills at a time.

Philippa Bond ● 3839d

It does seem strange that something like Asprin is available on prescription yet it costs a fraction of the prescription when purchased over the counter.Also I have noticed that some non-branded tablets would require a crowbar in order to extract them from the foil packaging!

Jean F Fernandez ● 3839d

As I understand it carers and care homes can only dispense medication which has been prescribed.  For some people this then includes aspirin and other over the counter (OTC) medicines such as lactulose.

Philippa Bond ● 3839d

Only prescriptions dispensed, NHS Prescription Services - calculate how much pharmacists, GPs who dispense and appliance contractors should be paid as reimbursement and remuneration for medicines and medical devices dispensed to patients from NHS prescription forms.

Fred Hunt ● 3839d

I would like to know the answers to your questions too, does anyone have this information?

Jean F Fernandez ● 3839d

Is the charge made at the moment the prescription is issued or when the pharmacist supplies the item? Does the NHS pay if the patient does not use the prescription form to obtain the item?

Christopher Bell ● 3839d