Medication Cost in Scotland

Jamie is of course right. :smile:

A good idea would be to get a letter from your current family physician or whoever started you on seroxat in Hong Kong, with the reasons and how long you have been on it etc... to give to the GP you register with in Edinburgh. This may stop any problems or delay in getting a prescription for the drug once you arrive in Scotland.

This is a good idea for any international student coming to study here - but particularly for those on drugs, such as seroxat, which have been subject to a lot of controversy in the UK recently.

Take care.

Reply 3

OP

Oh...I guess I need to talk to my councillor about it tomorrow then. So if I am to get it in UK...I'll have to go to a GP for a prescription letter, then the pharmacy to buy it? :confused:

How do I register with a GP? HK has a completely different health care system (prescriped med's are dispensed at clinics and not pharmacies), and I still don't really understand how NHS works. :redface:

Can someone please explain to me before I make a fool of myself when I get to Scotland? :p:

edit - is 10 boxes a "stock"? : :redface:

Reply 4

eurasianfeline

Oh...I guess I need to talk to my councillor about it tomorrow then. So if I am to get it in UK...I'll have to go to a GP for a prescription letter, then the pharmacy to buy it? :confused:

How do I register with a GP? HK has a completely different health care system (prescriped med's are dispensed at clinics and not pharmacies), and I still don't really understand how NHS works. :redface:

Can someone please explain to me before I make a fool of myself when I get to Scotland? :p:

edit - is 10 boxes a "stock"? : :redface:

That's right you need to register with a GP when you get to Edinburgh. There will almost certainly be a GP Practice on the University Campus - if not there will be one very close by. All you need to do to register is turn and ask to register with the Practice and then there will be a few forms etc.. to fill in.

The GP will give you a prescription for the medication - which you then need to take to a Pharmacist. Strictly you don't pay for the medication but pay a prescription charge (6.60 for each item).

Don't worry people will explain it to you - no-one will think you are foolish. :smile:

If you have any more questions feel free to PM, but don't worry its not that tricky.

Take care.

Reply 5

OP

Ataloss

That's right you need to register with a GP when you get to Edinburgh. There will almost certainly be a GP Practice on the University Campus - if not there will be one very close by. All you need to do to register is turn and ask to register with the Practice and then there will be a few forms etc.. to fill in.

The GP will give you a prescription for the medication - which you then need to take to a Pharmacist. Strictly you don't pay for the medication but pay a prescription charge (6.60 for each item).

Don't worry people will explain it to you - no-one will think you are foolish. :smile:

If you have any more questions feel free to PM, but don't worry its not that tricky.

Take care.

So for each box for Seroxat...it'd cost me 6.60? (does that mean it's partly subsidised by NHS? :confused:

) So...ANY item (seroxat or not) would be that price?

HK is trying to pass the bill to change the health care system into something similar to the ones in other countries, guess a bit like the NHS? But think it'd be pretty impossible since everyone is too used to getting consults AND medication from the doctors. And most pharmacies only have 1 registered pharmacist (min. requirement to open the store) so would be difficult to get the new system working.

Reply 6

eurasianfeline

So for each box for Seroxat...it'd cost me 6.60? (does that mean it's partly subsidised by NHS? :confused:

) So...ANY item (seroxat or not) would be that price?

That's right any item will cost you 6.60. It means the cost is partly subsidised by the NHS for the more expensive drugs although for some medications you are actually playing more than the cost price.

Each prescription item costs 6.60. Usually that means one box of seroxat. However, if you have a nice GP he might prescribe the equivalent of 2 boxes for you and you will still only pay 6.60. :biggrin:

Hope that makes sense. It does sound a bit confusing I know - but once you start using the system it will all make sense (hopefully). :smile:

Reply 7

OP

Ataloss

That's right any item will cost you 6.60. It means the cost is partly subsidised by the NHS for the more expensive drugs although for some medications you are actually playing more than the cost price.

Each prescription item costs 6.60. Usually that means one box of seroxat. However, if you have a nice GP he might prescribe the equivalent of 2 boxes for you and you will still only pay 6.60. :biggrin:

Hope that makes sense. It does sound a bit confusing I know - but once you start using the system it will all make sense (hopefully). :smile:

Thank you. :redface:

I hope I land myself with a nice GP then. :biggrin:

Maybe I should ask my councillor for the list for GP's / Councillor she knows in Edin.

Oh and...if I have to see a councillor over in Edin...would I still need to go through my GP? Or just a letter from my councillor in HK and the recommended Edin councillor by her? Cos in HK...I saw both my old psychiatrist (who I didn't really like in the end) and my new councillor without being referred - we just phone them up and ask if they would see us.

Reply 8

eurasianfeline

Thank you. :redface:

I hope I land myself with a nice GP then. :biggrin:

Maybe I should ask my councillor for the list for GP's / Councillor she knows in Edin.

Oh and...if I have to see a councillor over in Edin...would I still need to go through my GP? Or just a letter from my councillor in HK and the recommended Edin councillor by her? Cos in HK...I saw both my old psychiatrist (who I didn't really like in the end) and my new councillor without being referred - we just phone them up and ask if they would see us.

If you want to see a Counsellor on the NHS then the usual route is via a GP referral.

Many Universities have their own counselling service funded the Student Union which you can access for free. :smile:

There is always the option of seeing a Counsellor privately - but obviously you would have to pay for that.

Reply 9

Random.Girl

14

Is the prescription tax 10p more in Scotland then?

Reply 10

OP