Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Dancing Queen on February 11, 2019, 11:11:31 AM
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I`ve just got back from the Drs with my 1st prescrition of Evorel Sequi to replace the Femseven Sequi which is no longer available and am horrified at the cost. I was charged a double prescription charge (no idea why) of £17.60 and got just 8 patches which at 2 a week will last 4 weeks. I got 6 MONTHS worth of Femseven Sequi for the same price! Does anyone know if they come in packs of more than 8 and why I would have been charged double. I asked the receptionist and she said "it just is" and I was so desperate for them as my last patch had fallen off 2 days ago I just paid it!
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Have a word with the local Pharmacist? Maybe you have two prescription charges ........ ? At my age I don't pay any more ;-)
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There are two components in the pack so two charges. I was always charged for two when I was on sequi apart from the first month when the pharmacy made a mistake. Ask your GP if you can have three months at a time. I did that.
Taz x :)
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Thanks Taz, If I can get 3 months for the same price I will ask for more next time if they suit me. They were in a great big box and I was horrified to see there were only 8 in there and that I had to change them twice a week!
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Yes it's expensive! I don't have to pay now so have been put back on to a monthly prescription.
Taz x
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The other thing to do if you can't get 3 month's worth is to look at pre-payment.
If you are clever and get a 3 month cert, with a prescription at the beginning and one at the end of the 3 months, it works out cheaper.
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Your gp should be aware of these situations and give you 3 months supply hopefully. It's too much to pay all the time. Trouble is the government discourage "over prescribing" because of waste which is understandable, but in the past my gp was sympathetic about it.
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Thanks Dahliagirl I hadn`t heard of 3 month prepaid prescriptions - if I can`t get the Dr to give me what I want at least this will cut the cost in half :)
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I have a yearly one which I pay monthly by direct debit. It works out really good value for me
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i think it's £104 in total but paid in monthly instalments. They let me know when it's about to run out but automatically renew it unless I request otherwise
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I couldn't have afforded all my asthma meds (which in my case has been life threatening on occasion) and HRT if it hadn't been for for the prepayment certificate. Originally I had to find £100 in one go, but a few years back I was able to pay monthly, which was brilliant. One the perks of being 60 was not having to pay.
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I get between 6 - 9 items per month so saves me a fortune
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If you don't quite have enough prescriptions for the annual certificate you can get round it using the 3 month one to its fullest extent. The pharmacist told me. It is a pain because you have to be quite organised so I don't always do it but my husband was good at it.
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I've just had a look and it's £10.40 a month for 10 months to get covered for a year. That's not much more than the cost of one prescription per month. I get 5 HRT prescription products each month plus several prescription items for menopause related problems so I'm saving an awful lot.
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https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates
The three month thing works like this:
If you always have more than one prescription charge per month, ie 12 per year (£105.60), then a 1 year certificate at £104 saves you money.
If you are on the borderline, then it doesn't quite work out (like me - a double charge for 3 month's sequi, and a single charge for vagifem which can be longer than 1 every 3 months).
If you purchase a 3 month certificate, you get your 3 charges on at the beginning of the certificate at £29.10 (it would have cost £26.40) and then next sequi on the end (would have cost another £17.60). Timing is crucial. Then when your next prescription is due, you get a new 3 month card.
If you pay for prescriptions and are not sure if you need a pre-payment card, you can get a receipt from the pharmacy for the money paid and claim it back retrospectively.
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:great: Didn't know how to link dahliagirl
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I just copy and paste it from the top bar - doesn't work with the I-pad though - can't work that ;D
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Ah that's why I can't do it then. I'm not as dim as I thought I can blame my iPad ;D
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;D
I've worked out how to do the copy bit but I can't get it to paste. It is good for watching television on but rubbish for typing.
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Did you know that the charge is going up to £9.
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It's in the News today .
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:-\
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WHAAAAAT?'seriously'theyre going up again?oh my,it's time we all moved to wales or Scotland 🤨
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Had a feeling they would go up to £9. It's annoying when you get given meds and they don't work it's wasted money, also when GP's give you about 6 weeks worth of patches it soon adds up, I always try & remember to ask for more to keep cost down.
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I am still fighting with my surgery to get more than 4 weeks of patches at a time ..17.60 for a month whereas I paid that for 3 months on femseven. The number of times Ive gone in to try and sort it and a Dr rings me back and says "Im confused now".....😵
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I just find it annoying that if you are prescribed the pill, it's free which is a choice but HRT which the majority of women you have no choice but to take it you have to pay for the privilege, not only that but you may not finish a prescription as it doesn't suit then have to pay again and just hope the next works. Rant over!!
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I`m still going round in circles with the Drs trying to get them to prescribe them more than 4 weeks at a time. It costs them no more to give me 3 months in one go than to give me a month at a time but you would think I was asking them to scale everest .... I`ll need to stick 10 patches on at a time if they wind me up much more! ;D
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"I`ll need to stick 10 patches on at a time if they wind me up much more! ;D "
LOL, you're funny! My GP gave me 3 months of femseven straight out of the gate!
It was my first ever experience with hrt, he said he's 3 months of this, go away and see what you think. I tried a couple of patches, got scared and went back for more help and info. Now trying bhrt.
Good luck DQ
TD
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Yes TD I got 3 months when I was on femseven but had to swap to Evorel as femseven were discontinued and they apparently only come in boxes of 8. And trying to get them to understand that 3 boxes of 8 Evorel lasts the same time as 1 box of 12 femseven is like a huge mathematical conundrum to them. There`s me thinking Drs were quite intelligent lol :D
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Got a repeat prescription from my GP last week and was told they could prescribe a years worth now!
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Whaaaaaat???!!!!!!
Where are you based Mydoglovesme? Also are you in Scotland or over 60?
Also :welcomemm: and do introduce yourself either here or in New members to tell us something about yourself and more members can welcome you?
Hurdity x
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I know, right? 11 boxes of Utrogestan and 18 boxes of patches! I'm in the South East and 51 years. Annoyingly I had just received my prepayment card for this year although I think you can return the card if no longer needed so might do that!
Thanks for the welcome, long time reader of the forum but had never posted before. I started peri menopause at 49 and initially took Femoston before switching to patches. Wanted gel really but that is black listed by the NHS in my area so patches it was.
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I'm also in the south east and can have 6 months worth...also I only pay one charge for evorel sequi...the surgery print “one charge only†on the prescription
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Yaaaayyyy!!!
After 2 weeks of wrangling I have finally managed to get the Dr to prescribe 3 months of Evorel Sequi in one go instead of 1 month hence saving me £35 over the 3 month period. It was like climbing everest but persistence paid off! :bounce:
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Well done Dancing Queen!!
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Probably a bit harder than climbing Everest DQ 😆