Repeat prescriptions

I buy a monthly prescription in the chemist which usually costs me 5 euro. I went to the chemist today and asked for 2 months supply as I was going on holidays. When it was dispensed, the cost was 7.50 ... I couldn't believe it, I thought the pharmacist had made a mistake ... but I was told that the dispensing fee was only applied once hence it was cheaper. I am going to buy a years supply next time!

Hello HennyPenny,

As far as I know a prescription is only valid for 6 months. There was a time when one could buy a few months supply of tablets together, but I notice now that doctors generally only prescribe a month's supply at a time to be repeated, even for run of the mill repeat prescriptions, where danger of overdosing is not an issue. This was brought home to me when I noticed that my chemist only supplied one month's medication on a two months prescription. His words were "it would not be worth my while dispensing them like that" - he wanted his monthly dispensing charge. It's my opinion that doctors are facilitating the pharmacists. Btw, you might also like to request that the package is not broken, i.e. many packets contain 28 tablets, if you require more than this you pay for the number of tablets you require plus a breakage charge for the extra amount. I discovered this once when I asked for a break-down of the prescription charge. So, if the packet is "broken" a few times a breakage charge is applied every time.

Cheers, enjoy your holiday

Justsally

Another example of vested interests looking out for one another! :mad:

Pharmacists can only dispense one months supply under the DPS scheme where scripts go over the €85 threshold.

Not sure about your case, but they usually don't dispense over a month on safety grounds, unless your say your travelling!

That said many prescriptions are available over the counter (OTC) in other countries. Also they can be less than a quarter of the Irish price is some countries, like Spain/Greece. I know a guy who gets his meds in Gran Canaria every year, which pays for his holiday.

Interestingly my elderly mother had to visit her doctor every 3 calendar months in order to renew a prescription. When she visited her chemist she was always given 3 x 28 day packs of medicines. I couldn't believe it when I found out that she was going without her tablets for the odd days left over for the 30 and 31 day months.

Shop around. I have never paid a dispensing fee.

justsally said:

Hello HennyPenny,

This was brought home to me when I noticed that my chemist only supplied one month's medication on a two months prescription. His words were "it would not be worth my while dispensing them like that" - he wanted his monthly dispensing charge. It's my opinion that doctors are facilitating the pharmacists.

Justsally

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I would have thought that the pharmacist was obliged to prescribe whatever was on the prescription (unless of course the doctor had made an error in dosages etc that would be dangerous). If you asked for the 2 months as prescribed, he has no right to refuse you.

I never realised that dispensing charges were so high - 5 euro seems like a lot for one month when you consider that they are already getting a considerable mark-up on the price of the drugs.

See this article re pharmacy charges - from the Irish Times - subscription not needed

[broken link removed]

The key is to shop around and discuss your prescription with your Doctor. He/she may not actually be aware of the structure of pharmacy charges and will try and facilitate whatever way you want your drugs prescribed. Also, make sure you ask for generic prescriptions and you can ask the pharmacy to give you the cheapest versions of the drugs.

For a common drug like Losec (a anti-ulcer drug) for example, the cost of the original, brand-name drug, is approx 40% higher than its newer rivals which work exactly the same way. I know that a lot of doctors prescribe losec as they are familiar with it (and because a lot of them thought it was the cheapest because it ws around the longest). Spend a couple of minutes discussing these issues with your doctor and you could save a lot of money in the long run.

I think some of the problem is that there isn't really a culture of cost conciousness among Irish doctors. In training, you get into the habit of just treating patients with whatever they need regardless of what it costs - you never have to see the hospital bill, or prescription charge, or the cost of that MRI so you don't tend to think about it. Contrast that with the American system where doctors have to constantly justify their treatments in terms of price. I honestly don't believe that there is 'collusion' between doctors and pharmacists in most cases and that a frank discussion with the doctor might be the best way to resolve these issues

How do I shop around? Do I just go to each pharmacist and ask what the dispensing fee is? Thanks

Henny Penny said:

How do I shop around? Do I just go to each pharmacist and ask what the dispensing fee is? Thanks

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I realise that the idea of shopping around might sound radical to some people but why not? Or ring around to save time. Of course people are free not to bother and then to blame the charges that they willingly pay on "rip off Ireland", vested interests, price fixing cartels etc. and the like if they prefer.

how do you know that you are not paying a dispensing fee. It doesn't show up as a separate item.


Grizzly, I can well believe what has happened in your mam's situation!. Chemists seem to regard a month's supply as meaning 28 days. In her case I would request 3 months supply at 31 days, which would work out at 93 days tablets (if she takes one a day) = 84 tablets, plus 9 tablets from the next package. But instead of taking 9 tablets out of the package and "breaking" a pack ask the chemist to supply the full packet thus avoiding the breakage charge and the excess tablets can be used for the shortfall next time around. Been there, done that

If you asked for the 2 months as prescribed, he has no right to refuse you

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I agree, so what did I do? I took my business elsewhere.


There is an old thread about this subject "Pharmacy prices".

Justsally

i noticed this happening when i am getting my pill it works out cheaper to get them all together rather than spliting them into 2 by 3 months etc

Hello Liverlips,

[broken link removed]

The above Irish Times article includes the comment

"For people with medical cards, pharmacies charge the ingredient cost, plus a dispensing fee of €3.25 and VAT. For nearly everyone else, on the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), pharmacists charge the ingredient cost, a 33 per cent profit margin, plus a dispensing fee and VAT.".

Cheers

Justsally