What a rip off!!

[lamornamiss]

I have been told I have to take ferrous sulphate.
So Gp gave me a prescription.
So off I toddle to the chemist ready to hand over my £7.40 for 2 boxes of 24 tablets. Nice man in Boots said its cheaper to buy them over the counter so paid nearly £5 for the 2 boxes I go off home happy to have saved myself and the NHS some penny's. (Same sort of price at Tesco 2 months later)
Last weekend went to my local Llyods chemist only to be told £4.65 for 1 box
So left with the idea of going either to Boots or Tesco
Had a walk past my local independent pharmacy this morning and thought I would pop in and ask them how much they would cost.
You could have knocked me down with a feather when they told me the price.....99p a box YES 99p for the same brand and same amount
What a difference in price.

How can some chemists charge so much for the same product?
What a rip off for both the customer and the NHS :flamingmad: :rant2:

 

[pandora]

My GP is really good , he either writes me a private prescription or tells me its cheaper over the counter .
I agree though its a rip off

 

[Mrs Quiggle]

I take asprin every day and they are much cheaper to buy over the counter than via a prescription though I get mine free being diabetic.

Kate x

 

[lamornamiss]

I just couldn't believe that in one chemist it is twice the price of another for the same tablets. Prescription or no prescription

 

[Mrs Quiggle]

No you're right it's a complete rip off. I always go for non named paracetamol and ibruprofen etc. etc. They are after all the same thing with fancy advertising.

Kate x

 

[JO28172]

Try the hospital pharmacy...it's like trade prices

 

[lamornamiss]

Try the hospital pharmacy...it's like trade prices

It was my hospital weight management who prescribed it
But they told me my Gp would have to write the prescription as the hospital pharmacy don't dispense them

 

[chubby funster]

My local boots charge £1.70 for a box which I thought was a bargain! But 99p?!! Wow!

Sent from my Galaxy SII using WLSurgery

 

[mariew]

They seem to charge whatever they can get away with!

 

[chrisa]

I got mine in ASda a tub of 100 think there were bout £2.66 try them all and just go with cheapest I have aprepayment and try and build them up so I make it work for me. Only buy over counter if i am between prepayments xx keep your eyes open and ask xx

 

[flowerofshona]

Always ask if its cheaper over the counter !!!! have saved loads that way. Hubby gets his all free so i use his pain killers if i need them (not often i use them).

 

[OOnion]

A pharmacy is a business like any other at the end of the day - they mark up what they can on the products they buy in, it's us the consumer that has to be savy and shop about, just like you would for anything else - A few years back, there was a lack of paracetamol in hospitals as none of the pharmaceutical companies wanted to make it as there was so little profit on it, they rather stick to the sexy drugs that make a lot of money - like Flucloxacillin, tablets £2.48 for 7 day course - liquid £28.98 for a 7 day course, and of course you can't give tablets to a small child! It's all corrupt...

 

[Paul-H]

I take asprin every day and they are much cheaper to buy over the counter than via a prescription though I get mine free being diabetic.

Kate x

Hi Kate

Should you be taking Asprin with a Bypass, I was told to never take Asprin or Asprin based meds again. Have you been told its ok.

Paul

 

[MissDiet]

Im picking up my perscription for folic acid tomorrow. I'll be checking the dosage then seeing if its cheaper online or instore etc.

I cant see the point in the nhs writting perscriptions if its cheaper over the counter

Xx

 

[witchingmoon]

How can some chemists charge so much for the same product?
What a rip off for both the customer and the NHS :flamingmad: :rant2:

The NHS don't pay that amount. My sister is a nurse and has told me how much medication costs them some are penny's others are major £. The £7.20 charge is like an average so you pay £7.20 for a 67p medication and some one else pays £7.20 for a £69 medication. This is why some doctors wont give you some meds because they cost the NHS to much and some doctors wont give a prescription for something you can get over the counter cheaper.

 

[Mrs Quiggle]

Hi Kate

Should you be taking Asprin with a Bypass, I was told to never take Asprin or Asprin based meds again. Have you been told its ok.

Paul

Hi Paul, yes my consultant knows I take it, I've had it ever since I had a heart attack 16 months ago. I have to take it with food and I also take 2 ranitidine a day to protect my stomach.

Kate x

 

[MrsPill]

The prescription charge is an English governmental tax & bears no relation to the actual cost of the drugs. Folic acid is a prescription only drug so you won't be able to just buy it over the counter.. you need a prescription for supply.
The price of ferrous sulphate goes up and down like the proverbial shores drawers!!! The cost price depends on so many things, like cost of raw materials (ie iron!!) & availability from manufacturers. Then there will always be a difference between chemists...always, because they are businesses like any other. It does pay to shop around.
Come to sunny Scotland...prescriptions are free here!!!! Xx

 

[chrisa]

Yes Paul I was told that nos aspirin or ibuprofen anything like that but people still have them must be different depending on your surgeon and which hospital you go to x

 

[OOnion]

Folic acid is available otc in England - no need for a script here!

 

[MrsPill]

Depends on the strength of folic acid...5mg is a POM ( prescription only) & 400 mcg is a P med. Ie otc.