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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / November 2004Are prescriptions a rip off in the UK???
I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just over) cost price. Yes I know a lot of medicines, especially those with a brand name cost far more.. but for a basic prescription as the majority are, is it really fair that we have to pay so much. Any practitioners in the UK care to comment. >I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that >much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just >over) cost price. Yes I know a lot of medicines, especially those with a >brand name cost far more.. but for a basic prescription as the majority are, >is it really fair that we have to pay so much. Any practitioners in the UK >care to comment. Ten cents a pill , over here . Not the newfangled Amoxicillin, the old regular stuff. Yeah the pharmaceutical companies are planning on taking over the world ....... Joel > >I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that > >much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just > >over) cost price. I heard the NHS don't like doctors doing this because the flat fee charged is supposed to average out the cost. eg any money made by this "overcharging" for cheap meds is intended to balance the cost of the more expensive stuff. It never does but it's a contribution that the chancellor probably wouldn't want to loose. Think of it a taxation rather than a bill for meds. Here in Belgium you pay about ?12 just to visit the doctor even if he says you don't need any medication - but there is no waiting list to speak of. You don't even need an apointment where I live - just turn up and be seen within about an hour on average. Sure it's fair if you're buying from a pharmacy in the UK. Property doesnt' come cheap. Try online pharmacies instead. Personally, I tend to stock up whenever I'm in SE Asia, it's cheaper again (and I use Boots! high-ticket stuff ;) - at least it's not out of date =)). Plus you'll make lots of friends as the "resident pharmacist" =) > I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that > much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just > over) cost price. Yes I know a lot of medicines, especially those with a > brand name cost far more.. but for a basic prescription as the majority are, > is it really fair that we have to pay so much. Any practitioners in the UK > care to comment. > I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that > much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just > over) cost price. Yes I know a lot of medicines, especially those with a > brand name cost far more.. but for a basic prescription as the majority are, > is it really fair that we have to pay so much. Any practitioners in the UK > care to comment. I think the fee is flat, so you could get an entire year's supply of penicillin for 6.40 (theoretically) and the government would cover the cost. It's not fair for people who don't need frequent medication, like you and me, more fair to the ones who do. It's generally unfair I would say. All you in UK and Canada should count your blessings. Health Insurance in the US has gone way past the rate of inflation for the past few years. There are vast numbers of low wage employees who have no coverage whatsoever and simply can not afford to get sick. Medical expenses are one of the top leading causes of bankruptcy. Maybe you paid a bit prescriptions (but only a bit more), but you never have to worry about losing your life savings because you got hit by a drunk driver. > > I just spent GBP 6.40 on 21 250mg Penicillin. Surely they cant cost that > > much, surely I could ask for a private prescription and buy then at (just [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > like you and me, more fair to the ones who do. It's generally unfair I > would say. > All you in UK and Canada should count your blessings. Health Insurance > in the US has gone way past the rate of inflation for the past few [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > worry about losing your life savings because you got hit by a drunk > driver. I'm not a fan of the US system, but consider that we pay a lot of tax especially for health, and that the minimum waiting time to see a consultant about a health problem that isn't life-threatening is 6 months. Not a very good service I would say. But you're right, it's better than nothing. George I suppose it must have happened a bit, but none of the many people I have come across who went bankrupt, did so over medical bills. Medical costs have gone up because technology has improved and everyone wants the new technology. If you go into the hospital, everyone want the Lamborghini. No one wants the Fiat Uno. If the type of health care would become tiered (I don't know if that would be fair or not), then there would be levels at which everyone could afford care. Then, the prevention of malpractice claims comes into play as well. I find that most countries which have full health coverage for its citizens taxes the individual at a rate which is above the USA rate much greater than the cost would be to buy fantastic coverage. For example, if a country was taxing individuals at 60% to cover this plan, but the USA only taxes at 30%, that would leave 30% of a person's income with which to buy their own plan.  Signature~+--~+--~+--~+--~+-- Stephen Mancuso, D.D.S. Troy, Michigan, USA .................................................... This posting is intended for informational or conversational purposes only. Always seek the opinion of a licensed dental professional before acting on the advice or opinion expressed here. Only a dentist who has examined you in person can diagnose your problems and make decisions which will affect your health. ...................... >> All you in UK and Canada should count your blessings. Health Insurance >> in the US has gone way past the rate of inflation for the past few [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > George |
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