Type 1: Prescription fine

[DonnaC-T]

Went to get a prescription earlier and there is now a sign up in the chemist warming people that they need to show their card, face fines etc
They've also started writing the exemption number on every time x

 

[LittleGreyCat]

This all looks like a bullying campaign.
NHS should ask for proof of entitlement and a completed form if the certificate is out of date, and warn that there will be penalties for false claimants.

This is just jobsworths bullying people into paying penalties.
I think that they are unlikely to prosecute anyone as they are are on very shaky ground because the policy wasn't effectively policed.

I would suggest that anyone who gets notice of a fine does not agree to anything until they have talked to their local Citizens Advice Bureau.
If everyone refuses to pay then they are very unlikely to risk the adverse publicity.

Cheers

LGC

 

[jackois]

Hi all,

I have just received one in the post, for £124.15...needless to say I am not that happy about it. I was told by a lady on the phone a similar story to others here, you are entitled to free prescriptions but only if you have the medical exemption certificate. I have never been asked for one, and I have been diabetic since 1986 and with the NHS since 1992. The GP has never told me about one and as others have said the pharmacist has always just said "tick that box".

I was also told that the GP can back date it by 30 days, which considering my charge is for September is not that helpful as the letter is dated 24th November. I have never bucked the system knowingly, and would have preferred to receive a "warning" or "first offence" to resolve the issue, and be given the chance to back date it as required by the GP.

Agree that I should have read the prescription small print, but when it hasn't changed in so many years and there was sort of an implied waiver with no notice by GP, Pharmacist or the Business Services Authority it seems a bit rough.

I am going to write to my MP and the press I think. I will pay £1.00 now and depending on what happens will pay the rest in instalments, I'll think of it like a donation to a good cause anyway!! After all, in the grand scheme of things, £124.15 isn't a lot for the wonderful care I get at King's College Hospital and have had at Queen Mary's. Hopefully they will not back date any more, otherwise I will take it further!

Jimski, would it be possible to send a scan or photo of a letter that states the amount of the fine (and how it is being collected) to INPUT Patient Advocacy on [email protected] ?

If Jimski can't, could anyone else who has one do it?

 

[CarbsRok]

Jimski, would it be possible to send a scan or photo of a letter that states the amount of the fine (and how it is being collected) to INPUT Patient Advocacy on [email protected] ?

If Jimski can't, could anyone else who has one do it?

[

Are you sure that's the right info as INPUT is for insulin pumps? @jackois

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Write to your local MP - there's an election coming up.
Write to the other candidates as well.

Having said that:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...es-chemists-hand-free-medicine-thousands.html from 2013
"
Cheats are fleecing the NHS of at least £100 million a year by falsely claiming that they are entitled to free prescriptions.

The Mail on Sunday has discovered that patients are simply walking into pharmacies and claiming they are on benefits or a low income – and a 'scandalously careless' checking system means few people are ever caught.

Pharmacists told undercover reporters that it was ‘very, very rare’ for someone to be investigated – let alone fined – while one even appeared to condone abuse of the system.

According to latest figures, prescription fraud costs the NHS £100 million – enough to pay for 4,000 extra nurses. A new report into the problem will be published later this summer, and experts believe that the figures could climb even higher.
"
and
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...HuXAD4DHd4Xu1R7QIuMY6hw&bvm=bv.80642063,d.ZGU
"Crackdown on prescription fraud saves NHS thousands"

So this has been bubbling up for a while.

 

[Jimski]

Jimski, would it be possible to send a scan or photo of a letter that states the amount of the fine (and how it is being collected) to INPUT Patient Advocacy on [email protected] ?

If Jimski can't, could anyone else who has one do it?

Hi,

Have just sent a redacted version to that email address.

 

[tim2000s]

I was going to say exactly the same as little grey cat. Given how easy it was to walk into a new pharmacy and claim to be exempt, it is no surprise that many were doing it who did not have a condition that allowed free prescriptions. Rather than moan that you've been caught, think more about how much is being saved as a result of this.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Veey good point...

 

[Jimski]

I was going to say exactly the same as little grey cat. Given how easy it was to walk into a new pharmacy and claim to be exempt, it is no surprise that many were doing it who did not have a condition that allowed free prescriptions. Rather than moan that you've been caught, think more about how much is being saved as a result of this.

Hi Tim,

I have no issue with what they are doing, it is only right. And I fully agree that it will save the NHS a huge amount of money to pay for other services. My main concern is that they are also targeting people who have a genuine case and have never tried to buck the system. I would say that it should be applied if you cannot show a valid exemption within 28 days or so.

I also have an issue with the seemingly random nature of who they have targeted, and whether they intend to apply penalties historically for this.

 

[tim2000s]

I think it seems random because we see a small subset on a forum. I'd imagine it is rather less random than it appears. Those on here who have been hit are simply the unexpecting ones because they thought they were exempt and it turns out they hadn't done something they needed to. Sadly that's often how these things work and it is not picking on the unfortunate ones caught up who really ought not to be.

 

[smidge]

I was going to say exactly the same as little grey cat. Given how easy it was to walk into a new pharmacy and claim to be exempt, it is no surprise that many were doing it who did not have a condition that allowed free prescriptions. Rather than moan that you've been caught, think more about how much is being saved as a result of this.

Yeh, except that if your prescription is for insulin, needles and BG test strips, there is a bl***y good chance you're diabetic and entitled to free prescriptions. It's mad to chase the obviously genuine cases for fines when you should be preventing fraudulent claims.

Smidge

 

[angelicbaby]

As a T1 has their critical illness for life it is ridiculous to make us have to apply every 5 years... Hey ho!!! Bl**dy govts wasting more funding on needless systems!!

I'm writing to my Local Councilors and MP tomorrow.

To be honest..... I wondered if this was in case the owner of the exemption certificate dies

Yeh, except that if your prescription is for insulin, needles and BG test strips, there is a bl***y good chance you're diabetic and entitled to free prescriptions. It's mad to chase the obviously genuine cases for fines when you should be preventing fraudulent claims.

Smidge

Not if you're a "health tourist".

 

[catherinecherub]

This is not something new as it was reported on the forum in 2012.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/medical-exemption-certificate-fine.30917/

If you read the last post on this thread you will see that the forum member was able to sort it out and she hadn't had the exemption certificate for 7 years.

 

[tim2000s]

Yeh, except that if your prescription is for insulin, needles and BG test strips, there is a bl***y good chance you're diabetic and entitled to free prescriptions. It's mad to chase the obviously genuine cases for fines when you should be preventing fraudulent claims.

Smidge

Sadly, a computer set up to match scripts against names probably never checks the content and churns out fine letters in an automated fashion.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[phoenix]

To be honest..... I wondered if this was in case the owner of the exemption certificate dies



Not if you're a "health tourist".

That's a place where they could tighten up even for people from the EU. I have an EHIC card issued in France so I am entitled to care when visiting the UK but the UK can claim the money back from France
I've had to go to NHS drop in centres twice in the last few years . Neither time have they wanted to take EHIC number so they can't have claimed from France for the costs of my 'treatment'. (I did pay the prescription charge though ).
Here, a British tourist has to pay upfront , take the form with the EHIC card and all your bank details to the local health care office, get a reimbursement from them who will in turn claim from the UK ( for small amounts, I know people who haven't bothered !)

 

[donnellysdogs]

Perhaps the exemption certificate process should be linked to diabetes.co.uk advice....

I checked in with another long term standing T1 last night and he has a card, but thought it was for life. Fortunately his hasn't expired. I used to put mine in a drawer to be honest, never carried it with me for 25 years. Only since moving 2 years ago and going to different chemists that I bothered putting it in my wallet.

I do think prescriptions and exemption advice should be a main topic for website...

 

[VinnyJames]

For those of you who have a card, does it have a start date and/or an expiry date?
Did you receive any reminder that your card was due to expire and you needed to renew?

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1126.aspx gives the details of entitlement - basically any diabetic who requires diabetic medication.

So there may be many diabetics who are entitled but who are not currently claiming.

I got a little tangled in this on first diagnosis - recommendations for diabetics include low dose slow release aspirin and statins. However neither of these drugs are specific to diabetes. Hint - if you are not taking Metformin but are on statins and aspirin it can save you a lot of money if you start taking Metformin.

I'm not on metformin but I get free ppi's

 

[Dillinger]

I didn't have an exemption card for hundreds of years and then care of a thread just like this on here last year I got my GP to sign the form (which they'll have at the health centre) and now have a nasty white card.

I've never ever been asked for the card before or after getting it and have always ticked the 'yes' box for medical exemption as so many other diabetics do. Technically that is wrong as whilst exempt from prescription charges I didn't until last year have a valid certificate.

Just speak to your GPs next time you are in; there is no charge.

For the OP get in touch with the people who issued the fine and dispute it whilst making sure you get an exemption certificate from your GP.

Best

Dillinger

 

[Seriously_Sax1989]

This is really interesting! Where do you get the form from?

 

[CarbsRok]

This is really interesting! Where do you get the form from?

Your GP or a pharmacy will have one.