Type 1: Prescription fine

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
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8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Other
This has been in place for a long time (as I've said elsewhere on this topic). I knew about exemption certificates when I left Uni, nearly 20 years ago, and was aware that they expired after five years soon after the introduction of this rule. Can't remember why or how now.

I can also read, so knew that by ticking the box on the back of the prescription, I would need to have a certificate and not that I was medically exempt.

As has also been said elsewhere, the administration of the exemption cards moved to NHSBS only relatively recently after being in local health authority control for years and they had terrible records, hence the fines only go back a couple of years.
 
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Kes

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Bolding mine.
Really I have never seen this bit of legislation can you give me a link @Kes

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1126.aspx

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:
  • diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
It does make sense. If you are not on tablets why do you need free prescriptions?
Of course if you have used drugs then recover your existing card will still be valid until it expires but you won't be able to renew it.
Not sure if you are still entitled to use it tho. You might be fined if they find out.
 

Totto

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,831
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The reason they expire is that Diabetes 2 can expire/be cured.
If you manage to keep your diabetes under 10 without pills/drugs you will lose the right to free meds.

In the future even Diabetes 1 caught early might be curable.
Ergo the certificates need to be renewed.
But if your GP prescribes metformin even if you BG is below 10 you can't get the card?
 

Totto

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,831
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Neither have I, especially as Diabetes has not proven to be cured IN ANY ONE CASE YET
There are one or two who got pancreas transplants and didn't need any meds for quite some time after that. I would call that cured.
 

Kes

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Neither have I, especially as Diabetes has not proven to be cured IN ANY ONE CASE YET
People who have gastric surgery or who go on a 600 Calorie diet for 6 weeks have had diabetes 2 reversed.
Proven.
Visceral fat is one of the main causes of diabetes, lose it and you have a chance or reversing diabetes 2.

They have made diabetic rats non diabetic by feeding them probiotics.
Often if you are obese and diabetic 2 and you change your diet and life style resulting in a large weight loss, you can reverse it.

A friend was diagnosed as diabetic 2 and he changed his diet, lost weight and controlled it just by diet and he now has normal readings if a little high.
BTW he was never eligible for a medical exemption certificate even tho he was diagnosed as diabetic 2 as he never used metformin.
He did have a lot of bitter melon which does something similar to metformin.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/natural-therapies/bitter-melon.html

Doesn't happen in all cases but it is a medical fact that diabetes 2 can be reversed if drastic changes are made.

Living on just 600 calories for 6 weeks is not exactly possible if you have to work.

I think if its more genetic than lifestyle then it won't be possible.
If you are slim and have diabetes 2, a gastric operation or a 600 cal diet isn't going to help is it.?
 

Kes

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
But if your GP prescribes metformin even if you BG is below 10 you can't get the card?

If you are prescribed metformin then you qualify.. but if you can eat e.g. a Mars bar and are constantly under 9/10 when not taking any drugs (i.e. Normal) a GP might not prescribe you anything.
Metformin and other diabetes drugs are a great strain on your liver, kidneys etc.
GPs are under oath to do no harm if you successfully reverse diabetes then a proper GP should stop prescribing.
Why would you want to take drugs?

If you can't stay under 10 without taking drugs or a very strict diet then you are still diabetic.

There is not a specific number.. Glucose meters vary a lot and are not that accurate.

If you are lucky enough to reverse it, you will always be susceptible to becoming diabetic again.
There aren't many who have reversed it.
Most of those who do reverse diabetes 2 are severely obese and have had a gastric operation so that they can't eat normally again.
Not being diabetic for them is usually the least of their worries.

I think in the future, someone will find the real cause of lifestyle diabetes 2 and I bet it will be simple like an unknown type of bacteria or a bacterial virus that radically changes gut flora.
Dr Barry Marshall proved in the 90s that stomach ulcers were due to a bacteria that lived in stomach acid, despite medicine saying that was impossible.

The latest discovery is that it isn't just the pancreas that produces insulin/glp-1 but also the upper intestine, except in diabetics.
It is gut flora that stimulates the intestines to do that.
People with diabetes 2 don't have the right gut bacteria.

If you starve the gut for an extended time, the wrong sort of gut flora lose out to the right kind and the upper intestine regains the ability to produce glp-1.

It makes sense for the body to use the intestines to do this as it's the first contact with food your body has.
Also the right gut flora break down sugars in your food before you can absorb it. The bacteriodes (bad gut flora) do not and so you blood sugar levels rise more than they should.

Kefir, Live greek yogurt contain the good gut bacteria shown to enable intestine to produce glp-1.
Probably not in the right quantities tho.
We are more bacteria.than human.
There can be as many bacteria cells in a big Xmas poo than human cells in a body. :p
 

CollieBoy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,974
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Hi carb Foods
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1126.aspx

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:
  • diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
It does make sense. If you are not on tablets why do you need free prescriptions?
Of course if you have used drugs then recover your existing card will still be valid until it expires but you won't be able to renew it.
Not sure if you are still entitled to use it tho. You might be fined if they find out.
@Kes
I know I'm"nit picking" but this says that you get the exemption if you are under medication for diabetes, not that you get it for the case that you cannot keep your BG under a particular level of control.
If this were the case, I could relax my control, fail the BG level test, and get a new exemption certificate!
 
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BaliRob

Well-Known Member
Messages
596
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Noisy dogs and loud music especially low-note drumming
There are one or two who got pancreas transplants and didn't need any meds for quite some time after that. I would call that cured.
How can a drastic operation such as a pancreas transplant be considered to be a cure? One is receiving a new 'body'.
 

BaliRob

Well-Known Member
Messages
596
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Noisy dogs and loud music especially low-note drumming
My son has been type one diabetic since he was 18 - 15 years ago. He was told that prescriptions were free, never asked or indeed reminded to fill in anything in order for this to remain free of charge, we went through everything together with a diabetic advisor. He recently was fined £96.00. He spoke to both is doctor and his pharmacist; neither of which had ever heard of a type one diabetic having to renew exemption certificates and told him to definitely not pay, both were shocked and disgusted. It is indeed marvellous that our tax money is "apparently" being looked after - However this appears to be little more than a scam. Targeting people that - by the nature of the prescription itself - are clearly type one diabetic, smacks of someone having suddenly realised that due to a clear lack of information, people have inadvertently fell outside of legislation and have become easy money. He was then fined a late payment charge whilst trying to fight the issue and threatened with court. Brilliant for the blood sugars - unnecessary stress - This needs to hit the national press in order that innocent victims can fight back!!
Your experience is the norm for most of us
 

jackois

Well-Known Member
Messages
391
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What a shame Bevan didn't threaten to resign over the government refusing hypothecation [*] of National Insurance. If he had done, maybe we could expect a pension that a person could survive on, after paying NI all our working lives.

OK possibly off topic now. :)

[* hypothecation means putting our NI payments into a sealed national pension fund instead of treating our NI payments as a government piggy bank / slush fund]

I wish you hadn't put that up as you've started my blood boiling again. Various countries that did ring fence pension payments & invest the money pay excellent pensions to their retired folk. As you say, the greedy B's, that run our country have used the pension fund as a piggy bank. It's a huge scandal that gets me going every time...

Add to that, the politico's that allowed company pension funds to take holidays from paying their contribution leading to later problems with a lot of big company's pension funds...

Luckily, I made my own arrangements.

Shame, as we get older, that all that is wrong with this country is caused by the old... or so some would have us think
 
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Sancho panza

Well-Known Member
Messages
465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1126.aspx

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:
  • diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
It does make sense. If you are not on tablets why do you need free prescriptions?
Of course if you have used drugs then recover your existing card will still be valid until it expires but you won't be able to renew it.
Not sure if you are still entitled to use it tho. You might be fined if they find out.
@Kes
I know that if you read the thread you will see where I too have posted the NHSBSA guidelines
What I don't know and what I would like you to provide me with a link to is where exactly does the seemingly arbitrary figure of 10 come from ?
 

brenda walker

Well-Known Member
Messages
78
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have been diabetic for 2 years, no one told me my medicine was free. Only on Friday was I asked to pay for my diabetic med. How long does it take to get an exemption card?
 

brenda walker

Well-Known Member
Messages
78
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@Kes
I know that if you read the thread you will see where I too have posted the NHSBSA guidelines
What I don't know and what I would like you to provide me with a link to is where exactly does the seemingly arbitrary figure of 10 come from ?
I love your dog
 

angelicbaby

Well-Known Member
Messages
160
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have been diabetic for 2 years, no one told me my medicine was free. Only on Friday was I asked to pay for my diabetic med. How long does it take to get an exemption card?
It does not take that long from posting the forms to receiving the card, you are looking at between 5-10 days. If you have to pay for a prescription in-between, you need to ask the chemist for a FP57 receipt form when you are paying. Apparently, it cannot be given after you have paid for the prescription. The FP57 will advise you on how to obtain a refund for your prescription.
 
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tordy58

Newbie
Messages
3
Just received a fine for ticking the box exempt in November 2014 letter says the cannot find any evidence of this, my card is in front of me with an expiry date of DECEMBER 2014, talk about fuming I will be on the phone 1st thing Monday.
 
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Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Just received a fine for ticking the box exempt in November 2014 letter says the cannot find any evidence of this, my card is in front of me with an expiry date of DECEMBER 2014, talk about fuming I will be on the phone 1st thing Monday.
Well that's an easy one, put a photocopy of the card in the post and count yourself one of the lucky ones.
 

rubold

Well-Known Member
Messages
108
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Just received a fine for ticking the box exempt in November 2014 letter says the cannot find any evidence of this, my card is in front of me with an expiry date of DECEMBER 2014, talk about fuming I will be on the phone 1st thing Monday.

Good job you didn't throw your old card away at the end of December then.
 
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smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Just received a fine for ticking the box exempt in November 2014 letter says the cannot find any evidence of this, my card is in front of me with an expiry date of DECEMBER 2014, talk about fuming I will be on the phone 1st thing Monday.

I knew they were getting a bit over-zealous in a bid to justify their existence, but that is ridiculous LOL. Maybe we'll find a secret clause somewhere that says we need to have so many months remaining on our exemption certificate like you have to on your passport. LOL.

Could you issue them a fine for getting the admin wrong and wasting your time?

Smidge
 
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whosbear

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Some, but not many. Hate shopping at tesco!
Hi I have just received a letter saying i have to pay a £96 fine for not having a valid medical exemption certificate. I was diagnosed Type 1 in 1998 and have never paid for prescriptions since. Nobody has ever told me about this. Has anyone else had the same thing and if so what was the outcome?
I think your a very luck person to only have to pay £96! Since 1998 how many Prescriptions have you handed over the counter? Think that a prescription nowadays is now £9 odd it only takes 10 prescriptions to be paid. I'm sure you've had more than 10 scrips. I started paying when I was first diagnosed about but with a good GP, they told me I could fill a form and get my prescription paid for. I still feel kind of guilty about not paying but that's what it's there for. It's true diabetics do take up 10% of NHS money but that's why we need to look after our precious NHS. When you tick (E) on the back of your prescription you are declaring that you HAVE a medical exemption certificate. If your signing it and you don't have said card, that's frued! It only take an FP92A form from the doctors to be filled out. Get it signed by anyone from the practice and the card should take about 5 working days. I did have a problem January last year when my card was due for replacement. The receptionist gave me the wrong form even when I explained it was the wrong for I got shouted down by her saying 'It's the only form your getting'. It took about 3 weeks in the end to get the right form, put the receptionist got a telling off when I complained. I was £100 better off by the time I got my receipts paid back from my chemist using an FP57 form, again from the GP. Even though I was on first name terms with the chemist I still had to pay until my card came through.
 
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