A diagnosis of breast cancer often has many long-term financial implications attached to it. A major issue we frequently hear about from people affected by breast cancer is prescription charges
Under the current system in England, only some patients are entitled to free prescriptions, including those with a number of specific long-term conditions. Cancer patients are not included on this exemption list. Many breast cancer patients who are not eligible for free prescriptions feel it is discriminatory that they have to pay for their prescriptions when people with other long-term conditions are exempt.
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you can fill in this questionnaire to let us know what you think about prescription charges and how paying them has affected you.
As our campaign has been met with success in Scotland, and the Welsh Assembly have already abolished prescription charges, we would only like to hear from the experiences of ENGLISH patients please.
I’ve just had the same problems as Molennium - have sat here waiting for over half an hour and it keeps telling me that its ‘timed out’ - frustrating!!! So I’ve shut it down!
I also live in Scotland. When I was at the chemist last week with my tamoxifen prescription the chemist asked me if I paid for my prescriptions. I said I used to pay for them but I think that may have changed. He said “who are you kidding” then went on to say it’s not set in concrete yet. It may be happening next year but for the moment we still have to pay.
I have asked our policy people about this. They said:
“The Scottish Government have pledged to abolish prescription charges in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon (Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing) announced in October 2007 that the Government will begin to phase out prescription charges in April next year and will abolish them completely by the end of the Parliament. More information can be found here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7056063.stm. Breast Cancer Care will continue to campaign to ensure that the Government will meet their pledge on prescription charges.
This survey therefore seeks to hear the views of people living with breast cancer in England so we can campaign to ensure that cancer patients do not have the financial burden of prescription charges in England too.”
Just thought I would post to this. Although I am on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years, I am over 60 and don’t have to pay prescription charges.
This week I have been diagnosed with under-active thyroid and have been put on Levothyroxine which is a sort of hormone replacement. On checking the name on the website I have just read that people who are prescribed this drug do not have to pay prescription charges for this, OR any other unrelated drug that they get from there GP.
How mad is this? Who decides what or what isn’t chargeable. I can’t believe what I have just read. What they are saying is that if I was under 60 and prescribed Levothyroxine, I would get my Tamoxifen and my blood pressure tables and any other prescriptions FREE!!!
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