Should We Pay For Prescriptions?

[bluemoon1]

The Government has announced a crack down on fee dodgers. Is this fair when it all depends on where you live in Britain whether you pay or not?

[Old_Geezer]

"a dog licence of 7/6 per year cost more than 7/6 per item to collect"
Maybe so, but doesn't a knowledge base on who owns what, have value ? Maybe not a direct comparison then.

[Cloverjo]

O_G //Where does this idea of abuse come from ? //

People are ticking the box on the back of their prescriptions which claims they are entitled to free meds because they're receiving benefits. Some of them are not entitled and are wrongly claiming.

I don't think the gov should announce they're cracking down. They should just do it.

[Boto]

I live in Wales and scripts are free but I don't think they should be. When a neighbour died I took back to the pharmacy a big carrier bag of medication which she had stockpiled.

[woofgang]

OG, that's kind of true....about only being prescribed what you need. It will happen that people are prescribed items that are taken when needed, or the prescription is changed or for other reasons, and then the person ends up with a "stash" of meds which they don't use and which can't be re used. I used to visit older people at home and often found medication stashes. The fact that I found them means that they weren't fraudulently asking for them and then selling them, but its still a significant amount of waste.

[zebo]

As we all have a NI number, or whatever it's called these days, it shouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to allow the pharmacy to check the eligibility through the computer system of those entitled to claim free prescriptions. It may smack of big brother but the fact is we have got these systems but there isn't much joined up use of them.

[woofgang]

pharmacies are private companies. The NHS can't give them person specific data without the individual's explicit consent.

[Old_Geezer]

The ticking boxes thing, ok, it's the abuse related to 'free for all except the English' situation I was querying.

I'm unsure it affects changes of medication either. Free or not there'll still be waste in that circumstance. And stockpiling ought to be evident from either regular excess prescription, or failure to have an effect on the condition. Doctors need to be brighter.

[EDDIE51]

I have no objection to paying. In the large majority of cases the prescription would be free anyway.The prescription fee is only a small % of the actual cost of the medication.
Even in England now over 75% of prescriptions are free anyway as the patients have conditions for which medication is free or are over 60. Something of a 'non story'.

[Peter Pedant]

// but doesn't a knowledge base on who owns what,//
not keen on another one
you dont have to link it to NI no but the NHS number - also unique would do as part of the computer held records

I used to wonder why they hadnt done that - all sorts of data exemptions if the aim is prevent/combat fraud

this isnt a great money maker - as so many ( as above) are exempt anyway

and whilst we are at it - harold wilson resigned 1949 from his first ministers post - over the imposition of Rx charges
( he didnt like them)

[woofgang]

PP I was involved in work to share clinical detail across clinical services to improve patient care.....did a ton of work on improvement to confidentiality, on how it would improve care, especially for vulnerable people and people who live alone and lots of patient and staff discussion and opinion gathering and the overwhelming opinion was HELL NO. Even the people who understood that its currently possible for anybody in the NHS to access and read medical records with no record that they have done so; and those who were vociferous about having to tell clinical staff the same information multiple times; even the people with complex medical needs including life threatening allergies STILL didn't want a joined up computerised records system....although this was some 12 ish years ago now and opinion may be softening. Even though the government could justify it, even in the face of brexit, I think it would be a serious vote loser to the party who tried to do it.