Prescription charges for HRT

Went to get my second prescription for HRT today. As I'm only 45 I'm on Oestrogen and Progesterone. The pharmacist says that because there are 2 medications i.e. 2 types of tablets) I have to pay TWO prescription charges! Is this really correct? WTF?!?!?!?  I know I only paid for one the first time I picked up this prescription, pharmacist has said that this was a mistake.

So I now have to pay £15 every 3 months for the privilege of not having brittle bones and a reduced risk of endometrial cancer. I know it's not a huge amount of money but I don't see why I have to pay double? And I bet if men got the menopause if would be free altogether

GRRRR!

It sucks! But sadly each separate "drug" will incur it's own charge. Highly unfair. Have you looked at a pre-payment certificate? Might it be cheaper that way?

Oh, I was hoping pharmacist had got it wrong

I'll check out the prepayment thing, thanks mimaduck

yes, a PPC is worthwhile if you have more than 13 scrips a year. £10.40 a month by DDR, I think.

I think the pre-paid only works if you have 3 or more - the pharmicist has mentioned it to me a couple of times when I have gone to collect my wife's 2 prescriptions - does seem to be unfair - have you thought about moving to Scotland or Wales.

It really does depend on how many different items you have on each prescription. You can get one for either 3 months or a year. If you're getting two per month, then it's well worth getting a PPC. Linky.

I would query this with your doctor or the nurses there. I have exactly the same problem whenever I get my prescription from the pharmacy at the doctor's surgery, and occasionally elsewhere, but they check with the pharmacist and then apologise and say it's just the wording used for the tablets. They're called elleste duet conti, combined tablets, but the pharmacist himself and everywhere else don't ask for 2 x charges, but for some reason it's flagged up as double medication. Pees me off everytime I go to the doctor's pharmacy, especially as last time the assistant was telling me 'how lucky I was' to pay only once when her friend was paying double (more fool her I thought).

Is it me or isn't it a bit bizarre that you can get the pill free but not HRT?

Sarah the bookworm - thanks for that linky thing - it looks like the Pharmacist may have misinformed me - as I said earlier they said that if my wife had more than 2 prescriptions each month it would be worth doing - but reading the link she has two a month or 6 every three months so it would definitely worth it.

Screamapillar wrote (see)

Is it me or isn't it a bit bizarre that you can get the pill free but not HRT?

I was just thinking the same thing, Screamy  seems really unfair.

Grendel3 wrote (see)

 have you thought about moving to Scotland or Wales.

Things aren't that desperate yet!

Thanks for all the extra replies. I think with my hayfever medication as well it's worth getting the PPC thing. Sorry if my first post was a bit ranty  this is why I need HRT to keep my bad moods under control!

Saffy Sweety Pea wrote (see)

Screamapillar wrote (see)

Is it me or isn't it a bit bizarre that you can get the pill free but not HRT?

I was just thinking the same thing, Screamy  seems really unfair.

Almost by definition women on the pill are younger and therefore likely to be poorer. Do we really want to be deterring 18 year olds from taking the pill because of the cost?

Also the pill is normally taken for the benefit of two people, it's not fair to lumber the woman with all the prescription charges.

I was more thinking that HRT should be free, rather than charging for the pill 

Lots of public health reasons for free contraception - there are already high rates of unplanned pregnancy, think how much higher it would be if people had to pay for prescriptions. 

Not that I think the prescription charges are fair...

See if the doc will give you a Double prescription, you can get twice as much of the same thing for one charge.

Weeble. wrote (see)

Screamapillar wrote (see)

Is it me or isn't it a bit bizarre that you can get the pill free but not HRT?

I was just thinking the same thing, Screamy  seems really unfair.

Almost by definition women on the pill are younger and therefore likely to be poorer. Do we really want to be deterring 18 year olds from taking the pill because of the cost?

Also the pill is normally taken for the benefit of two people, it's not fair to lumber the woman with all the prescription charges.

Ditto what Saffy says, (above). I wasn't suggesting contraception shouldn't be free - In fact I have no idea how you read that into my comment at all 

I didn't read that in to it, I just don't think the pill and HRT are enough alike to justify the comparison.

I think from the POV of women's health they should be - if not more so.

Why should we condem women to a difficult menopause because of the cost? It's not exactly something you can avoid.

I think it's unfair that you have to pay for it at all.

Could you change to a combined tablet or patch?

Screamapillar wrote (see)

I think from the POV of women's health they should be - if not more so.

Why should we condem women to a difficult menopause because of the cost? It's not exactly something you can avoid.

Screamapillar wrote (see)

I think from the POV of women's health they should be - if not more so.

Why should we condem women to a difficult menopause because of the cost? It's not exactly something you can avoid.

I had no choice - messed up (planned!) c-section with No 2 Child meant that less than 2 years afterwards I had to have all "me bits" out as they were in such a state.  I had no option but to go onto HRT but eventually gave it up as I was allergic to virtually every form they tried.  I was far better off it than on and haven't had a problem since.

I assumed you to mean that if the pill is free, then HRT should be so too and I'd agree.

Anyhow, either with or without HRT, we're b*ggered