Free Prescriptions in Scotland

[Berek]

      I read in the paper this morning that there will be free prescriptions in Scotland within the next 4 years costing the rest of us £70 million a year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/22/nscot122.xml

[Uncle Mort]

And are you for or against it?

[Berek]

 

[Barman]

We'll take that as against shall we? 

[Snoopy]

We've had free 'scripts in Wales for some time now. 

[tel]

And us English, pay for it.

[Snoopy]

And us English, pay for it.

Errrrrrr ......... I'm English too.

[Uncle Mort]

More than 720 million prescriptions are written in Britain every year, bringing in almost £500 million to the NHS

At £6.85 per prescription the total potential income would be just under £5 billion so there must be an awful large number of English people getting free prescriptions as well.

[tel]

Doesn't quite work like that.
I am on a prepay card so do not pay the full wack. Free prescriptions are available depending on age and the type of drugs supplied.

[Snoopy]

More than 720 million prescriptions are written in Britain every year, bringing in almost £500 million to the NHS

At £6.85 per prescription the total potential income would be just under £5 billion so there must be an awful large number of English people getting free prescriptions as well.

You have, as usual, hit the nail right on the head Uncle. The vast majority of prescriptions issued are not paid for anywhere. The point made here in Wales when they decided to waive all such charges. The bill was a lot less than the scaremongering newspapers (Dare I suggest with the Daily mail leading the charge) tried to make out.
Sensible prescribing by Doctors would also help.

Tel also makes a good point ~ it you have any long term need for medication you can do as he suggests.

[Darwins Selection]

Doesn't quite work like that.
I am on a prepay card so do not pay the full wack. Free prescriptions are available depending on age and the type of drugs supplied.

Hmmm.. Pay-as-you-go Pharmacy eh?

"You have five courses of Penicillin or three and a half poultices left"

[chuntering again]

My old man is over 60 and gets free prescriptions - as luck would have it, he is on the same repeat prescription as me at the moment. 

All the same, quite annoying that the English taxpayer has to support the SNP's socialist "eutopia". I was talking to a friend the other weekend, who lives in Edinurgh, and apparently he is entitled to a £500 travel grant simply because one of his grandparents was Scottish. His wife, a faux-jock (born in Southport to Scottish parents) thought it was the height of entertainment and morally justified on account of "London getting our [sic] North Sea Oil for 30 years". Urine well and truly simmered.

[Barman]

My old man is over 60 and gets free prescriptions - as luck would have it, he is on the same repeat prescription as me at the moment. 

All the same, quite annoying that the English taxpayer has to support the SNP's socialist "eutopia". I was talking to a friend the other weekend, who lives in Edinurgh, and apparently he is entitled to a £500 travel grant simply because one of his grandparents was Scottish. His wife, a faux-jock (born in Southport to Scottish parents) thought it was the height of entertainment and morally justified on account of "London getting our [sic] North Sea Oil for 30 years". Urine well and truly simmered.