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Prescription charges

grante

Well-Known Member
Messages
235
Location
Sheffield
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was told by my nurse that because I am T2 that I don't have to pay of my medications. However the pharmacy has told me I do have to pay because T2 is just like having asthma and people with asthma have to pay for their meds.

Am I exempt or do I have to pay ?

Your advise please guys & gals
 
Hello grante, I was diagnosed t2 in Feb of this year, filled out a form which the GP gave me and now have a medical exemption card which entitles me to free prescription. Can only speak about my experience though, so not sure if it helps you.

Jo x
 

Some info here:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-prescriptions.html

Are you on any meds for your diabetes?
 
You definitely need the exception certificate. It looks nothing like the kind of certificate you would want to put on the wall - more credit card like which is good because you need to carry it around in your purse/wallet to show the pharmacist every time you get a prescription; even a non-diabetes related prescription. It is not valid forever. For me (type 1) it has to be renewed every 3 years. I don't know about type 2.
In the last year or so, pharmacists have been much more rigorous about checking your exception certificate is within date. This may sound harsh but if they are not getting money for a prescription, they have to pay regardless whether the prescription is something like insulin which you only get when you have diabetes which means you are entitled to an exception.
 
If you are getting insulin and are a T2 like me you will be able to get a exception cetificate from your pharmacy or doctor as I just ask for the forms and I fill in what I need to a give it to the reception at doctors to sort out the rest of it and a few weeks later I get the letter with my new exception cetificate stuck to it and I peel it off and the next time I pass the pharmacy I use I let them have the number on it and they put it in the computer and it stays there until the next one is due or I order the new one by myself and I had no problems getting the forms from the pharmacy as they just need to know and I show them the one I have and they are okay with it but you only get it on type 2 diabetes if you use insulin as I know a few people who are on tablets and can't get it
 
For type2s and take diabetic meds then you need to apply for the exception card, your surgery will have them, then your gp signs it, sends if off.
I got my exception card about 3 weeks later and my one lasts 5 years.
Am afraid if you are only diet controlled diabetic, then no card will be issued
 
Hi .everyone whose replied are right free prescriptions for diabetics unless only diet controlled.
 
If you have T1 Diabetes you do not have to pay;
If you have T2 Diabetes and are on medication you do not have to pay.
If you are 60 years of age or over like me you d not have to pay.
And of course if you are on certain kinds of benefits you do not have to pay.

And of if you like me have another exempted illness you don't pay.
 
This is interesting reading what happens there in UK. Here we have the pharmaceutical benefit scheme where you have to spend up to $50 on some meds. In a year we have to spend $1495 approx on meds alone in a calendar year before they then give us further discounted meds where we only have to pay up to $6 per med until the end of that calendar year. If you're a concession card holder here of course everything is even cheaper... but I'm not and most people here aren't unless they're on welfare. We don't get exemptions for diabetes or other diseases. We do have the National Diabetes Service Seheme here which means we get subsidised diabetic supplies, but that doesn't include meds.
 
Mep said:
Here we have the pharmaceutical benefit scheme where you have to spend up to $50 on some meds.
Click to expand...
I was just looking at the full price of one of my scripts, it has one tablet in the packet and costs $32.60.

Metformin costs $13.25 for 100 tablets

Here's a link to my pharmacies price list, for the UK members to see what it cost us here in Australia.

http://www.blooms.net.au/discount-prescriptions/
 
Reactions: Mep

Yeh I get mine from a different chemist... but this is my price list for my current script medicines that I regularly take. Of course sometimes I have to get other things and that's why I refer to up to $50 as that is how much I've had to pay for iron to take to my infusion (this can be up to $80 approx depending how much they want to infuse into me) and steroid med for breathing when I have respiratory infections. but this is my regular medicine I take for my illnesses (the insulins are apidra and lantus for diabetes):

Amitriptyline - $16.99
Apidra - $38.80
Baclofen - $24.95
Celebrex - $20.69
Lantus - $38.30
Lipitor - $16.95
Mersyndol Forte - $14.95
Metoclopramide - $14.99
Monofeme - $15.70
Nifedipine - $19.99
Rabeprazole - $19.94
Ramipril - $17.95
Sandomigran - $24.95
Zofran - $25.11 (4 wafers)
 
Last edited:
@Tipetoo and @Mep thanks for the prescription info it makes me appreciate how lucky we are with NHS prescriptions. Before being taking Thyroid meds which entitles me to an exemption card I used to buy an annual card which cost £104.00 which meant all of my meds were covered - my husband also had the same but he's now 60 so gets them free anyway.
 

Hi no you shouldn't have to pay for your medication if you have an medical exemption card x
 
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