As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a gay male who is an out & proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. What you will likely not know is that I am an asthmatic. I am writing this blog entry, to highlight something that really annoys me as an asthmatic - NHS prescription charges.
In England where I live, anyone who is over the age of 18, has to pay for their prescriptions, unless they are exempt, for example they are claiming benefits, they are over 65, they are on job seekers allowance etc. In England you pay for your prescriptions when you go an collect them from your nominated pharmacy. This costs £9.90 per medication and it can soon add up, especially if your an asthmatic who needs 2-3 inhalers per month, as this would end up costing you £200 plus a year. You can get an NHS pre-payment card for your prescriptions, but even though that will save you money, your still paying for your prescriptions
Whilst I don't have a problem paying for my prescriptions, I find it unfair that Asthmatics, who need inhalers to keep them healthy, have to pay for their prescriptions, yet people who have diabetes, get their prescriptions for diabetes medication that, like Asthmatics, they need to take every day completely free. This I feel is very unfair for Asthmatics, as like diabetics we need to take inhales regularly to keep our lungs healthy, and where people have really bad Asthma, stay alive etc.
Asthmatics need to be given free prescriptions, for several reasons, including:
- Some can't afford the prescription charges
- Some don't use their inhalers as prescribed to try and make them last longer
- It's unfair that people with other long term conditions get free prescriptions
What do you think?
