Should Prescriptions Be Cheaper?

I lose my pay if I'm off sick and then if l need a prescription l have to find the money to pay for it, hence l cannot remember the last time l was sick or took medication.. prescriptions should be free for the young, elderly and people who need medication for life.

Due to one of my illnesses I get free prescriptions which really helps me out. But I do think they are overpriced. Sometimes cheaper to buy what you need in a chemist than pay the prescription price.

I suppose it depends on the medication, for some £9.65 is expensive for what they get but for most it is very cheap.

Yep, but I know they won’t lower it. Tbh a lot of basic meds can be obtained from the pharmacist without a prescription, and it’s cheaper that way. I only go to the doctor for really concerning issues

I wish but it’s rising costs like everything else. I get an annual ppc but even that has gone up too. Everything has.

I have Thyroxine which is a life medication so free thank God.Standard meds are usually cheaper over the counter.

I was lucky enough to be diagnosed diabetic so now get free prescriptions. I wouldn't recommend it but it has saved a fair bit of money each month. In an ideal world they should be free but at the very least it should be a payment for all items on the prescription - not for each item. If you are on several different medicines it very soon adds up each month

They are FREE In Wales whether you`re working or not.

Our prescriptions are free where I am. However we pay for Dr's. The fees are around £75 for an appointment but the tax payer pays towards it so patients pay £45. It's crazy

I think it all needs reviewing, personally don't think paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin should be on prescription, tax payers shouldn't have to cover costs of meds worth a few pence at costs of pounds.

It depends, some medication is cheaper than others, my inhaler for example are £2.80 in Spain, nearly £10 here

Unfortunately in Wales they are “free”. Should be £1 per item throughout UK

Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland are all free of prescription charges. Good old England.

They should be free. Wales and Scotland get free prescriptions why not England?

Why do so many people expect so many things to be free? I just don't understand where this sense of entitlement comes from.. I'm pleased to see GP's refusing to write prescriptions for certain medications now. Standard painkillers, cold medicine, and constipation medicine are not serious ailments and are cheaper over the counter. I'm more than happy to contribute to my medicine. I do agree that medicine, which is for life like diabetes 1 (not diabetes 2) and thyroxine, for example, should be cheaper or possibly free, though.

We are the United Kingdom but only England has to pay for prescriptions, never understood why personally.

I live in Wales all prescriptions are free

Yes they should be, Scotland don't pay for prescriptions, have we got high charges to cover them.???

PPC it's the one for me

Yes, they should be cheaper if not free.

We all live in the United Kingdom, yet prescriptions are totally free in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. So why should England be any different?

My Doctor used to ask if I paid for my prescriptions years ago & because I did he would put me three or four

of the same item on mine & do same with next item. I suffered with Psoriasis so needed Creams,tablets,Special Shampoo so would have cost me a fortune!!

Luckily I don't suffer Psoriasis a lot but when I do,I am covered!

We can't fund the nhs so how can we have free or cheaper prescriptions? Who is going to pay for the medication? Yes they should be free fir everyone, but until the nhs is properly funded how can it happen?

I think prescriptions should be cheaper or free like they are in Scotland and Wales. It would cost a lot if someone was prescribed numerous medication.

I agree it should be cheaper but not free as they would have to get the money back from somewhere. If they are going to keep it high, make it per prescription and not per item.

I don’t pay for my prescriptions now as I am medically retired and have cancer. But I never minded paying for prescriptions when you take into account that includes the doctors appointment as well really. We are better off than America- poor people there cant even get treatment they need.

I have an underacive thyroid so apparently my prescriptions are free I'm very happy about that but not really sure why? my son had a kidney transplant but has to pay for his anti rejection meds and all the other meds he's on although he would die without them ! but type 2 diabetes are free,surely that's self inflicted??

Those with diabetes get all medication for free, even if it is gloves or emollient, as far as I'm aware or they did do. Yet sadly those with heart conditions or asthma where they need regular medications and inhalers, we have to pay for those.

I guess it's not expensive if you take into the fact the cost of your life and what it might be if you were to pay for the actual products.

The whole system is messed up though, it needs a complete overhaul and better discussions and decisions made. If the mental health service had a better system and treatment, then less services, with police, ambulances, A&E etc would probably be used in the long run.

Sadly no easy fix, but I am grateful we even have a health service at the moment. I certainly wouldn't be alive if I was in America. I do try my best to avoid appointments and things now though, after being treated quite badly and being told it was all in my head, when they finally found a lot of illnesses and things at a later date They just needed the space and time, so it was practically just get everyone out of the door as soon as possible.

I don't get why prescriptions aren't completely under the control of the NHS and don't involve subcontracting to commercial pharmacists. There should be economies of scale and the ability to negotiate very low rates for medicines and where possible generic cheaper options should be used. It should be a level playing field across the whole country so we all pay the same and those expensive medicines that we can't afford shouldn't be available to anyone rather than the prescription lottery we currently have. Also prescriptions should be automatic pretty much once you are on a medication so you just get the right amount rather than people building up a surplus of medicines at the countries expense. I just don't get why the whole prescription system is so messed up. Any prescription for drugs that are allowed over the shelf should surely just be purchased by people themselves.

Just feels like it needs a complete overhaul and there could be huge savings for tax payers. Admittedly many commercial pharmacists may go to the wall though who rely on prescription income.

If you have a life threatening condition, you get an Exemption Certificate. I've never paid for a prescription as I have epilepsy, and now I'm over 60, I'm automatically entitled to free meditation anyway. However, there are exceptions. The long term use of anticonvulsants means that my body will no longer absorb Vitamin D. Other than the 6 week emergency massive dose when this was discovered, I have to purchase High dose Cod Liver Oil capsules for daily use as these are not covered in the BNF NICE.

Yes. They way too expensive now although if you need alot you can sign up to a subscription to reduce the maximum costs.

I shouldnt really say lucky but I don’t pay for mine due to an illness I have. But I do think it is overpriced, remember you can sometimes find the product you need cheaper in a chemist than paying prescription charges, always ask.

Luckily I get mine free due to my illnesses, good job really as it would cost a fortune, I'm currently on 10 medications and 3 inhalers