Disclosure: I’m asthmatic, and so this affects me directly. Prescription costs go up to £9 an item in April.


https://www.itv.com/news/2019-02-26/end ... ity-urges/

Never fully understood why other life threatening illnesses attract a free prescription certificate and yet asthma doesn’t. It’s not exactly fun, and it does kill.

Wow, 9 quid? You can buy it online, without a prescription, for between 11 and 14 quid (Europapotheke)...

In Germany we pay 10% of the retail price, minimum price 5€, maximum price 10€ for prescriptions. There are a few exceptions, but that means I pay 5€, currently.

I do find it odd that asthma suffers have to pay, but diabetics (unless diet controlled), those with underactive thyroid glands, epilepsy all get free prescriptions. Apart from diabetes (type II), the other conditions develop through no fault of the patient. That includes asthma

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the patient has had no control over its development, and requires insulin, and I agree should be funded.

Type II is often caused by poor diet and lifestyle (there are some situations where it's not) and IMO should not be funded. Let the patients pay for their scripts and if they want to reduce their medications or stop them, they can improve their diet and lifestyle to do so. I've reversed patients' type II diabetes through diet alone, or diet and exercise. For some patients, it's meant no medication. For others, it's a reduction in the number of tablets.

I had a similar problem with gout. The Krankenkasse (health insurance group) decided that gout is a lifestyle illness.

If I had led an unhealthy life, I wouldn't have complained, but I:
1) didn't eat any red meats or fatty fish, duck, goose etc. just chicken, turkey and white fish.
2) no spinach, no tomatoes, no mushrooms, no legumes or pulses
3) no/little alcohol (half a dozen beers and a bottle of wine per year, at most)
4) plenty of excercise
5) plenty of freshly prepared food, little or no takeaway or pre-packaged food.

I had had the condition under control for 6 years, but the levels had gradually risen, despite a diet that avoided nearly all of the major contributory factors, I still started to suffer again and had to take the tablets.

When the doctor told me I was no longer covered, because the Krankenkasse had reclassified the illness, I put in an objection, stating what I had done to control my diet. That did work for an exception and I still get my meds subsidised.

Gout is a bit like type II diabetes - largely self-inflicted but there are some people in whom it develops, either for no reason, or as a side-effect of other medication.

My issue with prescription charges is that they apply to the lowest users (adults who are generally fit and well), whereas the highest users of the NHS (children, over 60s, those on benefits) do not pay. It's an additional tax on those who are already earning.

Remember, Wales and Scotland do not charge for prescriptions.

I have to pay for my Alopurinal, but only 5€ instead of the full 15€, once every 3 - 4 months.

I'm lucky, my Salbutamol lasts me longer than its expiration date. I only need it a couple of times a year - it seems to be affected by certain weather conditions or polen.

Salbutamol shouldn't need to be used frequently if the asthma is under control. For some patients, they will rarely have symptoms. For the majority, they will need a preventer inhaler to keep the asthma well-controlled. If patients have to pay for it, they're less likely to bother with a prescription, which means the asthma is more likely to be poorly controlled and risks exacerbations resulting in hospital admission or even death. Which is why I feel asthma medication should be free of charge too.