About medical exemption

[bn413]

Hello every one..

I am pharmacy student and i need some information about why sodium valporate used for epilepsy is free on fp 10 but used for bipolar is not free , have to pay if u r taking for bipolar disease.

Thank you
Nilesh
Medway school of pharmacy
stage iii
[email protected]

[Zoggite]

Re: About medical exemption

Because it is not the nature of a particular drug that determines whether it is free on FP10, it's the medical "state" of the patient that makes all drugs prescribed for that particular patient free on FP10; So basically ALL drugs are "free" on FP10 to an epileptic patient, even eczema creams and laxatives, as long as they're prescribed; but an antiepileptic drug rescribed to a non-epileptic patient is not "free".
There is an exhaustive list of medical contitions that entitle patients to be exempt from prescription charges in England, in the Drug tariff,in part XVI.4 - see http://www.ppa.org.uk/edt/April_2007/mindex.htm

[johnep]

Re: About medical exemption

All in a complete mess of course. So many pts on thyroxine get free whereas asthmatics have to pay.

Should not be medical condition but actual class of drug perhaps.

Any one any ideas as I think we all agree should be some payment for scripts in England to cover those Welshers.

Home rule for Wales and Scotland I say and lets get our money back.

Owen Glendower and Willam Wallace must be laughing at how well they have succeeded in raiding the English coffers.

off to Scotland in June so will have to go in disguise!

johnep

[Raju]

Re: About medical exemption

I think there should be no totally exempt category. If a working woman with thyroid problem or even epilepsy gets thrush or athlete's foot, why should she have the drugs free but a 19 year old university student have to pay for everything? Fair enough the anti-convulsive or thyroid treatment should be free, but everything else?

At least where I work I see exemptions being abused like anything (even though its more the people getting job-seekers or income support doing this rather than medically exempt). Many of the exempt people take all kinds of drugs and stock them up, while paying people are cautious to even take drugs that they may need. There was a young lady (quite fit too) at my pharmacy a few days ago. She had some severe short-term problems and had four medicines prescribed for her, which I felt she needed. She was something like 19 and in full time education and had to pay 27.40 and hece decided only to take 2 of the medicines. If she was exempt she would have taken all four.

in a recent letter in the PJ it suggested something like £0.50p for exempt people - I think that would work wonders.

[Zoggite]

Re: About medical exemption

My Christmas Wish: 10p or 20p per item, for everybody and everything, including insulin, the Pill, pregnant women, two-year-olds and 90-year-olds.
And scrap those stupid "notes on Charges" things, the No-charge items etc...!

[Linnear]

Re: About medical exemption

Wrote to my MP about FP10 abuse and got a stock reply back saying it's up to Drs to police the items being dispensed!

i.e. if we make everyone pay for their Rxs we might lose votes.

Crap really.

[johnep]

Re: About medical exemption

The biggest problem is Dianette. totally not approved for OC, but every script
comes in marked OC so the charge can be avoided. We all know it is being taken for acne.
johnep

[Linnear]

Re: About medical exemption

While still a student I always went to the BPSA sports weekend/piss up (or should that be piss up/sports weekend?)

The Irish lot always used to say that in Ireland where OC is a big no-no a lot of the poor girls with acne were given Dianette!

[johnep]

Re: About medical exemption

Back in the 50s before sex was invented we had a blokes folk lore that spotty girls might have high testosterone levels and therefore maybe a bit more 'passionate' than that pretty girl in first year with long blonde hair.
johnep

[Zoggite]

Re: About medical exemption

I received a rather snooty circular letter from one of my local surgeries, requesting me to "kindly" refrain from sending patients to them for prescriptions for stuff they could buy OTC, now that prescriptions are free in Wales; OK, fair enough, I thought; but then the letter- dated april 11th (wednesday)- went on to say that their Triage Nurse had been overwhelmed by the increased workload since april 1st caused by people requesting free scripts.
Firstly there have only been 5 working days between april 1st and 11th, due to Easter;They've done well to reach such a conclusion based on 5 days!!! I bet most of the increased workload was due to the school hols and the long Bank holiday.
Secondly, did that surgery ever stop to think what effect their closing of their local branch surgery,or them not working at all on saturdays might have on MY workload?!?
Thirdly, script charges in Wales have been £3 for a year, which was not exactly prohibitive; I refuse to believe that the leap from £3 to free has pushed that many people into asking for freebie scripts...
And finally: why can't they just say NO? Why do they keep churning out Rxs for ketoconazole shampoo, E45 cream, 2 rolls of micropore tape, simple linctus etc..., just because it's for a 64-year-old who's paid her National Insurance all her life...!!!
There, rant over!!!

[N.T]

Re: About medical exemption

Secondly, did that surgery ever stop to think what effect their closing of their local branch surgery,or them not working at all on saturdays might have on MY workload?!?

Write them a letter back saying that? But then you'll become known as the 'moaning pharmacist'!

[Rafael]

Re: About medical exemption

The biggest problem is Dianette. totally not approved for OC, but every script
comes in marked OC so the charge can be avoided. We all know it is being taken for acne.
johnep

i thought it is used as OC, we even keep it with the other OC products. tho when endorsing, we add the manufacturer name.
so what i understood, ppl should pay for it?
cheers

[mm45]

Re: About medical exemption

It has the actions as an oral contraceptive however its use, if u look in the bnf i think, says it is not recommended soley for oral contraception but is recommended for acne and hirutism in females. Dianette blocks androgen receptors and therefore treats these androgen dependent conditions. Dianette should then be stopped 3-4 cycles after the condition has cleared up.

If you see a script and it says dianette OC or has the female sex symbol then the doctor has prescribed it for use as a oral contraceptive and therefore is free. If OC or the symbol is not present you should charge the girl £7.10 levy as it is being used in acne. Alot of patients will be using it for both, so a female with acne who wants contraceptive cover. To be honest its very annoying especially when you try and charge a lady who turns round and says its for contraception bla bla bla

[Rafael]

Re: About medical exemption

It has the actions as an oral contraceptive however its use, if u look in the bnf i think, says it is not recommended soley for oral contraception but is recommended for acne and hirutism in females. Dianette blocks androgen receptors and therefore treats these androgen dependent conditions. Dianette should then be stopped 3-4 cycles after the condition has cleared up.

If you see a script and it says dianette OC or has the female sex symbol then the doctor has prescribed it for use as a oral contraceptive and therefore is free. If OC or the symbol is not present you should charge the girl £7.10 levy as it is being used in acne. Alot of patients will be using it for both, so a female with acne who wants contraceptive cover. To be honest its very annoying especially when you try and charge a lady who turns round and says its for contraception bla bla bla

thanks MM, that makes sense. btw any updates with your contract? i received mine but still did not read it properly, just had a quick look at it. i guess i will stick with lloyds one at the end.

[mm45]

Re: About medical exemption

Well im not too worried about it now. To be honest I think I will be going into hospital if I get place. I am tempted by Boots because they think im great and love me haha, I know the training would be good but theres alot of things about boots that annoys me and Im yet to get a straight answer about if I leave after pre-reg will I get charged money, if so then its a no no from me.

Which area are you in for Lloyds? I had an interview with them but I decided not to go.