Pre Paid Prescriptions

[funnygirl]

I understand about the pre pay bit.

It costs around �102 for a year and you get a certificate for your prescriptions.

What I don't understand is, once you've got this certificate are the prescriptions free?

And presumably the pharmacist stamps the certificate and you can get as many prescriptions as you want during that year.

Is this right?

[Jugglering]

Yes, you pay upfront for a pre-payment certificate - a set amount - and then all prescriptions that are written for you by your GP are free of charge, so if you have more than a certain number on a regular basis, you will save money.

You need to check first though that you are not entitled to free prescriptions anyway ! (age - over a certain age, location - eg in Wales scripts are free anyway, condition - if you have diabetes for example, all scripts are free)

[Jugglering]

Sorry, only tablet or insulin controlled diabetes is covered there, not diet alone

[coco pops]

When you buy the pre payment certificate you will be sent a plastic card which you take with you when you take your perscription to the chemist On the back of your perscription form there are various box options to tick,you tick prepaid and sign bottom .You don't pay anymore money until the payment expire date ,when you can but another pre payment certificate.
I find it better to buy 3monthly because you can make a gap between cards if you don't need any medicine for a few weeks.

[funnygirl]

Many thanks for your replies.

I have applied for one as I am on statins and the doctor says there no chance of me coming off and blood pressure tablets, which together costs me over �14 something every couple of months.

[hippyhoppy]

My friend is on tamoxifen for breast cancer and has now been diagnosed with a blood clot - so herceptin and warfrin.. so it's costing her a fortune... so she's weighing up the pros and I can't see any cons for her getting this �102 year a card!!! if there are no loop holes...

[Giggsie]

the charge is down from 102 now it is not half that for 4 months I was only �17 think it was �35 for the year. As I am now 60 no longer needed year so 4 months took me up to then. You get all prescriptions free with this certificate

[bednobs]

fg if you only get 2 presciptions every 2 months then you wont save any money with a ppc, as you will only be paying appro 90 quid a year in prescriptions (assuming your prescription needs dont change) and the PPC is over 100 pounds for the year

[funnygirl]

Hi Bedknobs,

You're right. I sat down and worked it out. I should have done this first before I rushed to print of the form.

Many thanks for pointing this out, I would've been giving my money away.

Again thanks for the replies folks.

[bednobs]

of curse, it might be useful if say, on top of those regular px you also need say a couple of courses of antibiotics, or pain killers etc, but only you know how likely that is i suppose!

[chrissa1]

It is really money well spent for me as I am on 6 prescriptions per month so I am saving roughly �300.00 each year. My husband is a tablet controlled diabetic so all his prescriptions are free.