Charged for free prescriptions

[Deleted User] · 19/07/11 - 23:14

Has anyone been charged for a prescription that was actually free? At the first chemist I went to, the cashier asked for the money straight away, then going to a different chemist, she hesistated, surprised that I took out money, talked to her colleague and then took the money anyway. Only after these incidents was I told, that what I was "buying" shouldn't really have been brought. [Which explained the puzzled looks and hesistation] Has anyone else been fleeced?

Cruachan · 19/07/11 - 23:16

I don't understand.

If you are entitled to free prescriptions, why did you pay?

chocoholic100 · 19/07/11 - 23:16

granted08 wrote: »

Has anyone been charged for a prescription that was actually free? At the first chemist I went to, the cashier asked for the money straight away, then going to a different chemist, she hesistated, surprised that I took out money, talked to her colleague and then took the money anyway. Only after these incidents was I told, that what I was "buying" shouldn't really have been brought. [Which explained the puzzled looks and hesistation] Has anyone else been fleeced?

why was it a free prescription
and if you knew it was free and you were exempt (which could be for a number of reasons) did you offer to pay?

[Deleted User] · 19/07/11 - 23:21

I had no idea it was free. The first time I went to purchase it, I was asked for money so I assumed I had to pay.

gomezz · 19/07/11 - 23:24

Why should it have been free? There are several categories of exemption.

chocoholic100 · 19/07/11 - 23:25

granted08 wrote: »

I had no idea it was free. The first time I went to purchase it, I was asked for money so I assumed I had to pay.

so who told you it was free?
there are many reasons to why it may have been free

for example, prescriptions are free in Wales and Scotland, contraceptives are free, if you are in full time education they are free, certain benefits entitle you to free prescriptions, maternity exemption entitles you to free prescriptions

Hobbit Feet · 19/07/11 - 23:25

granted08 wrote: »

I had no idea it was free. The first time I went to purchase it, I was asked for money so I assumed I had to pay.

This makes no sense sorry.

If it was an item that is automatically free then they are clearly in the wrong. If you are exempt then you have to tell them and fill in the prescription exemption bits.

My 6 year olds DOB is on the prescription but I'd still be charged if I didn't tick the right boxes.

[Deleted User] · 19/07/11 - 23:31

I got told the other day that it was free, after I'd just got back from the chemist. It is actually free on the NHS. But I didn't realise.

davidmcn · 19/07/11 - 23:32

granted08 wrote: »

Has anyone else been fleeced?

Who's fleecing you? The pharmacy either has to collect the standard charge, or get you to fill in the declaration for why it's free. Makes no difference to them which you do. Obviously it's nice if they prompt you to claim exemption, but I don't think it's solely their responsibility to make sure you know whether it should be free.

Hobbit Feet · 19/07/11 - 23:32

granted08 wrote: »

I got told the other day that it was free, after I'd just got back from the chemist. It is actually free on the NHS. But I didn't realise.

What is?

chocoholic100 · 19/07/11 - 23:33

granted08 wrote: »

I got told the other day that it was free, after I'd just got back from the chemist. It is actually free on the NHS. But I didn't realise.

but why is it free
and who told you it was free?

gomezz · 19/07/11 - 23:33

You are still not saying why it should be free in your case.

Cruachan · 19/07/11 - 23:33

granted08 wrote: »

I got told the other day that it was free, after I'd just got back from the chemist. It is actually free on the NHS. But I didn't realise.

My knowledge of prescriptions is limited; but I thought that ALL prescriptions have to be paid for unless one is in an eligible category.

So, please explain further.

Hobbit Feet · 19/07/11 - 23:34

Cruachan wrote: »

My knowledge of prescriptions is limited; but I thought that ALL prescriptions have to be paid for unless one is in an eligible category.

So, please explain further.

Some items are free to all, mainly contraceptives.

Cruachan · 19/07/11 - 23:37

Hobbit Feet wrote: »

Some items are free to all, mainly contraceptives.

Ah, thanks for that information ... which I now see was also in post #6.

[Deleted User] · 19/07/11 - 23:42

Hobbit Feet wrote: »

This makes no sense sorry.

If it was an item that is automatically free then they are clearly in the wrong. If you are exempt then you have to tell them and fill in the prescription exemption bits.

My 6 year olds DOB is on the prescription but I'd still be charged if I didn't tick the right boxes.

Why is it so shocking that the OP didn't know whatever-it-was was free? We don't all have encyclopædic knowledge of the NHS - some of us have other things to think about lol.

gomezz · 19/07/11 - 23:45

We are trying to find out why they now think it should have been free. We have insufficient information to answer their question until then.

Cruachan · 19/07/11 - 23:46

Rowdy wrote: »

Why is it so shocking that the OP didn't know whatever-it-was was free? We don't all have encyclopædic knowledge of the NHS - some of us have other things to think about lol.

I don't know all of the exemption categories (as witnessed by my posts above) but is the information about exemptions not on the back of the form; which one has to sign whether one is claiming exemption or not?

Sprogg · 19/07/11 - 23:50

I never pay for prescriptions, always say I'm on JSA, they never ask me to prove it.

[Deleted User] · 19/07/11 - 23:59

Who told you it was free? I just find it surprising that you're taking their word to be 100% correct over what two separate chemists clearly think.
My guess is that they've been exempt for some reason in the past and are recalling that. For one pharmacy to charge you... That's a bad mistake. But two? That wouldn't happen.

[Deleted User] · 20/07/11 - 00:03

I have an exemption cerificate to give me free prescriptions.

I'm not clear what the OP thought was free.

[Deleted User] · 20/07/11 - 00:04

granted08 wrote: »

Has anyone been charged for a prescription that was actually free? At the first chemist I went to, the cashier asked for the money straight away, then going to a different chemist, she hesistated, surprised that I took out money, talked to her colleague and then took the money anyway. Only after these incidents was I told, that what I was "buying" shouldn't really have been brought. [Which explained the puzzled looks and hesistation] Has anyone else been fleeced?

Why did you go to two different chemists

[Deleted User] · 20/07/11 - 00:09

OP you are not in Northern Ireland are you? they are free in NI now as of recently.

AlphaK · 20/07/11 - 00:21

I suspect it was a prescription for the pill . The pill can be prescribed for non - contraceptive purposes and if this was the case then perhaps the OP didn't tick the "free contraceptive " box.
However , knowing it is free as a contraceptive then most people would probably tick that box regardless of whether they were using it for that reason - the chemist would not know for what purpose it was prescribed and so would have to charge if the "free contraceptive " box was not ticked.

OP - if it is the pill then next time tick the "free contraceptive" box even if you have been prescribed it for another reason.

[Deleted User] · 20/07/11 - 01:02

I just happened to go to two different chemists, the prescription was on the NHS. That's why the female cashier at the second one hesistated when she saw the money, because she knew that it was free, but obviously knew that I didn't know [if that makes sense] Of course she was under no obligation to tell me, but it would have been a nice gesture.

[Deleted User] · 20/07/11 - 01:47

granted08 wrote: »

I just happened to go to two different chemists, the prescription was on the NHS. That's why the female cashier at the second one hesistated when she saw the money, because she knew that it was free, but obviously knew that I didn't know [if that makes sense] Of course she was under no obligation to tell me, but it would have been a nice gesture.

No. I still don't know why you went to two seperate chemists. Didn't the first one complete the prescription?

What was the prescription for? All prescriptions are on the NHS, that's who doctors who issue them work for

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