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Post by MJB on Aug 3, 2024 8:02:11 GMT
Just because a product is available over the counter doesn't mean it can't be prescribed by your GP. I don't pay for prescriptions and have had athletes foot treatment prescribed and my wife has a prepayment card for the several drugs she receives for chronic conditions and she has ibuprofen and paracetamol prescribed by our GP. My GP surgery told me that they would no longer issue prescriptions to me for the eyedrops, since they could now be purchased 'over the counter', so the use of them is now subject to a kind of means test (can the patient afford them?). I suspect that some pain killers, especially if in regular use and hence with a need to be monitored by the GP, will continue to be available on prescription (as mine are).
This policy for some items will benefit people who usually pay for prescription if the item can be purchased for less that the prescription charge (as with my eyedrops), but makes them more expensive (i.e. no longer free) for pensioners who get free prescriptions. Somebody hasn't thought carefully enough about this... There's a list of 35 minor ailments for which over the counter medicine will not ordinarily be prescribed. Things like headlice, dandruff, athletes foot, etc. The only eye condition I could see listed was conjunctivitis, which I'm pretty sure is not a chronic ailment. However GPs have the discretion to prescribe these medications if the patient's welfare would suffer without it or there is a clinical need that outweighs the cost (I'm a type I diabetic, hence the risks of untreated foot conditions). I'm pretty sure if you have chronic conjunctivitis then you would meet these criteria and to be honest you'd be under the care of the hospital eye clinic. |
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Post by dreampolice on Aug 3, 2024 13:24:02 GMT
Just because a product is available over the counter doesn't mean it can't be prescribed by your GP. I don't pay for prescriptions and have had athletes foot treatment prescribed and my wife has a prepayment card for the several drugs she receives for chronic conditions and she has ibuprofen and paracetamol prescribed by our GP. My GP surgery told me that they would no longer issue prescriptions to me for the eyedrops, since they could now be purchased 'over the counter', so the use of them is now subject to a kind of means test (can the patient afford them?). I suspect that some pain killers, especially if in regular use and hence with a need to be monitored by the GP, will continue to be available on prescription (as mine are).
This policy for some items will benefit people who usually pay for prescription if the item can be purchased for less that the prescription charge (as with my eyedrops), but makes them more expensive (i.e. no longer free) for pensioners who get free prescriptions. Somebody hasn't thought carefully enough about this... We all want something for free on the whole don't we? If over the counter costs you £4 say but the doctors give you a prescription for free because of your age, the NHS/surgery or whatever has to pay for those meds and I bet your bottom dollar it'll be the prescription price or more that they'll pay. So you (and me, as I'll be 60 in 3 months) will get it for nothing, yet the rest of the country has to pay for theirs as well as your over the counter meds. Again, I am not and will not be on the bones of my ass as a pensioner but I get that some will be. It's difficult. |
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Post by zou on Aug 3, 2024 14:04:28 GMT
Free prescriptions for all in Scotland. The way it should be.
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Post by willien on Aug 3, 2024 14:54:03 GMT
FWIW my anti histamines are prescription only - I have still been sneezing my face off when I first get up lately.
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Post by MJB on Aug 3, 2024 15:59:49 GMT
I forget the figure, but very few people actually pay a prescription charge.
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Post by zou on Aug 3, 2024 17:02:28 GMT
FWIW my anti histamines are prescription only - I have still been sneezing my face off when I first get up lately. Hydrating first thing really helps, I drink a glass of water as soon as I get up. Staying hydrated through the day also helps, but it seems like the morning is when there's the biggest impact. |
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Post by willien on Aug 3, 2024 17:08:34 GMT
FWIW my anti histamines are prescription only - I have still been sneezing my face off when I first get up lately. Hydrating first thing really helps, I drink a glass of water as soon as I get up. Staying hydrated through the day also helps, but it seems like the morning is when there's the biggest impact. Ta |
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Post by MJB on Aug 3, 2024 17:11:50 GMT
I forget the figure, but very few people actually pay a prescription charge. Just looked it up. Only 5% of prescriptions dispensed in 2022/23 attracted a charge. |
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Post by peterob on Aug 3, 2024 17:59:04 GMT
I forget the figure, but very few people actually pay a prescription charge. Just looked it up. Only 5% of prescriptions dispensed in 2022/23 attracted a charge. That is surprising but, thinking about it, I probably saw a Doctor twice (two bouts of illness) in all my adult years up to my stroke last year at age 68. I'm prescribed prophylactic meds now (and will be until I die) - there is no reason to suppose that I'll benefit from them personally, but treat 100,000 stroke victims the same way then there will be some winners. |
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Post by Chester PB on Aug 3, 2024 21:12:34 GMT
I forget the figure, but very few people actually pay a prescription charge. Just looked it up. Only 5% of prescriptions dispensed in 2022/23 attracted a charge. Which suggests that the administrative cost must be a significant part of (or exceed?) the charges collected. At my local pharmacy I've noticed the delays caused by people paying cash for prescriptions - the person taking the cash uses a hand cleanser after handling the cash, whilst the queue gets longer. |
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Post by mick on Aug 4, 2024 7:16:43 GMT
FWIW my anti histamines are prescription only - I have still been sneezing my face off when I first get up lately. So do I. I have a condition called geriatric rhinitis caused by some form of allergy. It's quite common so maybe you have the same. It's not terminal - at least the rhinitis isn't but the geriatric bit may be!
Mick
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Post by willien on Aug 4, 2024 12:32:46 GMT
FWIW my anti histamines are prescription only - I have still been sneezing my face off when I first get up lately. So do I. I have a condition called geriatric rhinitis caused by some form of allergy. It's quite common so maybe you have the same. It's not terminal - at least the rhinitis isn't but the geriatric bit may be!
Mick
Had for a very long time - since long before I could have been considered geriatric. Being ginger seems to make one over sensitive to lots of things - including being called ginger.  |
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Post by dorsetmike on Aug 4, 2024 12:50:29 GMT
Being ginger seems to make one over sensitive to lots of things - including being called ginger. Down yur in Darzet, us do call ginger 'edded 'uns Carrot tops |
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Post by willien on Aug 4, 2024 14:36:49 GMT
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