Cheap Prescriptions and Medications

They may say 'never scrimp on your health', but if you can save money without compromise then you should. Luckily that's easily possible; whether you use prescriptions or simply buy medicines, painkillers or other remedies over the counter, there are a host of ways you can improve your health without injuring your bank balance.

• Prescriptions
• Do you live in Wales, Scotland or N.I?
• Buy a season ticket
• Prescription Vs over the counter
• Big name mistakes
• Is there any difference?
• Where to find them
• Size of the saving
• Other articles/Discuss

A Prescription To Save

The prescription system has a simple aim in a worthy cause. Its flat fee means people can afford any medicine regardless of its real cost although at £7.20 a time, the figures can soon add up.

Yet for those who need to pay, there are a range of little-known methods to cut the cost. Before that though, it's worth noting that many people are exempt from charges. According to pharmacist Boots most prescriptions it processes are free.

Those who needn't pay include under-16s, pregnant women, the over 60s, cancer patients, students in full time education aged under 19 and people on a range of benefits and tax credits – therefore always make sure you're only paying if it's necessary.

Do you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Prescriptions are completely free in Wales, but only for residents. It's no longer possible to hop over the border and get your prescription at the Welsh rate if you live in England.

Charges in Scotland are due to be phased out by April 2011 and in preparation prices have been cut to £4 per item. The savings are even more pronounced on prepayment certificates; Scots can get four months' worth for £13 and 12 months for just £38.

Northern Ireland is also determined to scrap prescription charges, and by April 2010 they'll be free for all. Until then, each item is £3, or four-month and 12-month certificates are £9 and £25 respectively.

Buy a season ticket

Anyone who pays for regular prescriptions should consider buying a prescription pre-payment certificate, which covers all your prescription fees for a set period. Though don't try and be dodgy, it may only be used for your own NHS prescriptions.

There are two certificates. A short one lasting three months for £28.25 and a year long certificate for £104. To help spread the cost you can opt to pay for the year's certificate by 10 monthly Direct Debit instalments. The first certificate is cheaper if you use four or more prescriptions during the three months, the second if you use 15 or more in the year.

Therefore as a rough rule of thumb, if you pay for more than one prescription a month the certificates are good value. And if your condition is consistent, the longer certificate is the better value of the two. Someone getting two prescriptions a month over a year would save £70.

If you have internet access the easiest way to get a certificate is to purchase one online on the NHS Prescription Pricing Authority website and pay by debit or credit card, or by direct debit and spread the cost over 10 months. Forms are also available in main Post Offices and some pharmacies; alternatively you can call up and pay over the phone on 0845 850 0030.

It's worth noting if you become eligible for free prescriptions after buying a certificate, you can reclaim the proportional cost of the certificate for that time.

There's another useful trick too - the certificate can be back dated for up to a month. Normally it starts on the day the application is received, however you can request that it counts as starting up to a month earlier.

So if you've just laid out for a bulk of prescriptions you can reclaim the cost - to do this you'll need to ask the pharmacist for what's called a NHS receipt (FP57). Do note, though, the pharmacist can only give you an FP57 when you're paying for a prescription.

The FP57 is also needed if you've applied for your certificate, but haven't received it yet - so you can claim the cash back then too.

Prescription versus over the counter

Many commonly prescribed medications, including painkillers, allergy tablets and dermatology creams, are also available over the counter without prescription. Often it's much cheaper just to buy them this way, rather than paying the £7.20 flat prescription charge.

Some pharmacies, including all Boots stores, have policies to always tell you if you're better off doing it this way.

However, there's no hard and fast rule and using the prescription is sometimes cheaper, especially if the Doctor provides a bulk prescription e.g. a one or three-month prescription for specific non-drowsy allergy tablets.

A Big Name Medication Mistake

Brands are big business in the medical world, with drugs companies spending millions promoting an ‘only use the name you know' message. This of course seems eminently sensible, after all health isn't something we take short cuts with. Yet quite simply, it's a load of marketing baloney.

When a company develops a drug it is given unique rights to sell it for a number of years. Once that ends any company can make it providing they meet the regulations. Therefore, most over the counter drugs have identical medical properties regardless of brand, and avoiding big names means the cost is slashed.

The key is the ‘active' ingredient - the stuff that actually does the business. And there are many generic products, i.e. unbranded or own brand, that have the same stuff but cost much less. Protections and quality control apply equally to all branded and generic products.

Of course, my expertise is money, so why take my word for it? Dr. Chris Steele GP, the resident Doctor on ITV1's This Morning agrees.

“The key is the active ingredient. Look on the brand you know, note the active ingredient and then check it's the same one at the same dose as the generic brand. If you're not sure the safest option is always to check with the pharmacist".

In other words Neurofen's active ingredient is Ibuprofen, so find an alternative Ibuprofen with the same dose for less cost.

Is there any difference at all?

While there isn't a medical difference, the packaging and the design usually differs substantially. Branded drugs are often better packaged, with nicer coloured tablets and better tasting coating.

The only other thing to note is, if you have any allergies, always check the other non-active ingredients too. Don't automatically assume they're the same in a generic product as a branded one.

Where should you buy them?

The biggest saving is in switching to generic from branded products, regardless of where you shop. However, to finesse even bigger price cuts, try your supermarket; Tesco and Asda especially have steamrollered into the pharmaceutical world in the last couple of years with cheap prices, undercutting most of the high street pharmacies.

Also there's a chain of around 300 Savers shops, which tends to undercut even the supermarkets. It's worth checking out if there's one in your area.

Do remember though, if the price difference isn't too great, buying generic at your local independent pharmacy may help it remain open in the face of stiff competition.