Do I have to pay for medication?

There is a thread on tsr that's now closed but this girl said she has mental health issues, she didn't say what but she said she pays £20 for her medication per month! Is this true? I thought medication was free? I've recently had the courage to go to my GP and get help about my anxiety but I can't afford that being a student and everything.

:confused:

Do I really have to pay for medication if I need it?

Reply 1

Damask-

If you've over 19 (or not in education and over 18) then you have to pay for your prescriptions. There are a few exceptions to this, but you can check out the relevant info here.

Reply 2

LeonieEmily

Original post by Anonymous

Do I really have to pay for medication if I need it?

As above comment said, unless you live in Wales then it's free too

Reply 3

username457532

That was me 'hi'. If you're on a low income you can get a form from the pharmacist that gets you free prescriptions (or money off) but it's super long and worded weird and I've given up on it before. Had a prescription pre-payment certificate (which is only good if you have more than one prescription a month) which saved me over £200 last year but it's just run out. Started to fill in said form again and will send it off.

Reply 4

Anonymοοse

If you get your prescription privately then yes, you have to pay

If you're living in England and get your prescription on the NHS, you still have to pay unless you meet any of the exemption criteria below:

•

are 60 or over

•

are under 16

•

are 16-18 and in full-time education

•

are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)

•

have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)

•

have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx

•

hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability

•

are an NHS inpatient

You are also entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner (including civil partners) are named on, or are entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate or a valid HC2 certificate (full help with health costs), or you receive either:

•

Income Support

•

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

•

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or

•

Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

•

Universal credit

People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions if:

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they have one of the conditions listed below and

•

they hold a valid medical exemption certificate

Medical exemption certificates are issued on application to people who have:

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A permanent fistula (for example caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance

•

A form of hypoadrenalism (for example Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential

•

Diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism

•

Diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone

•

Hypoparathyroidism

•

Myasthenia gravis

•

Myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement)

•

Epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy

•

A continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months

Or are undergoing treatment for cancer:

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including the effects of cancer, or

•

the effects of current or previous cancer treatment

Source: NHS website

Reply 5

rmhumphries

In extension of the above, then if you get your prescriptions privately, you pay the full cost of the medicine (which can be hundreds of pounds). If you get it on the NHS, you pay just under £8 per item on the prescription.

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

Doesn't being in Uni count as low income?

Reply 7

username457532

Original post by Anonymous

Doesn't being in Uni count as low income?

Not necessarily. You might have huge savings or run a business in your free time that earned you loads etc.

Reply 8

doodle_333

Original post by Anonymous

Do I really have to pay for medication if I need it?

a lot of students will qualify for free prescriptions there is some sort of certificate of exemption you can apply for where you can shwo your bank account and your incoming monies which most living on basic student loan will qualify for... if you don't qualify it is around £8 for a prescription, most GPs will prescribe at least a month at a time and often will give you more than a month if you are trusted to keep coming back for reviews so even if you had to pay it is not likely to be £20 a month

Reply 9

rmhumphries

Original post by doodle_333

Also if you get more than 3 scripts every 3 months, or 13 scripts every 12 months, you should get a pre-payment certificate. £29.10 for 3 months, or £104/year, and you can then get unlimited scripts.