i dont know if this is nationally, but my prescriptions for medication has gone up. its going up every year. its now £6.65. yesterday, i went to the docs and one item is that price. it was ONE tablet! what a rip off! why are they so dear? thats why people dont go to the docs!! argh!! x
2006-09-20 06:54:31 · 16 answers · asked by ms_jaffa_cake 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
Prescriptions are expensive because on average, only one in ten drugs that are researched/developed actually make it through approval and to customers. Therefore, drug companies need to pass on all of those R&D costs to consumers to make money for their shareholders.
2006-09-20 06:57:03 · answer #1 · answered by Robin A. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first of all can I just say I don't understand what breakdance said at all - the old lady should still have only paid £6.65 for her prescription no matter how many items are on it. That's the whole point. £6.65 for one tablet is expensive, yes. But if you had had 10 items on your prescription, with a month's supply of each item, you STILL would only have paid £6.65.
£6.65 is supposed to be an "average" prescription cost and sometimes that works out to be more than the item is worth, but a lot of the time it's an awful lot less than the medicines you're getting are actually worth.
2006-09-20 20:55:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prescriptions are so much because drugs cost so much. It's generally a lot more expensive to buy stuff without prescription than with (although both doctors and pharmacists, in my experience, do tell you if its cheaper over the counter). The prescription charge for one tablet is a bit steep, but if its not available over the counter and you only need the one, I guess you have no alternative.
As for why drugs are expensive, people have already answered that. Research costs a hell of a lot, and most drugs don't even make it to the market.
2006-09-20 07:08:42 · answer #3 · answered by Steve-Bob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Robin A. has answered this question much the same as I would've had I seen it first. Research & development costs a lot, it takes years to get to a point at which FDA approval can be applied for and few potential products actually get FDA approval. A lot of money is invested up front in pharmaceuticals with no guarantee of return.
2006-09-20 07:02:14 · answer #4 · answered by TweetyBird 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a purposeful trend worldwide,propagated by the
pharmeceutical companys. Don't believe there hype!
There are alternatives to your complications. Talk with some credible alternative doctors for help!
Also todays drugs are synthetically made and can only work for a short period,all viruses,bacterias and fungus
eventually become immune to synthetics thus rendering
them useless.Pharmeceutical companies want you to stay sick so you continue to give them your money!!
Much of the best medicine i recieve is in the food i eat!
I maintain a vegetarian and fresh foods diet and i have not visited a doctor in over seven years!! Good Luck!
2006-09-20 07:07:56 · answer #5 · answered by medicine ball man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are expensive but if you use a lot of prescription drugs you can buy a pre-pay certificate (3 months or one year) and this may work out cheaper - ask your chemist.
If you are on benefits you may be entitled to free prescriptions.
Ask before you put the prescription in if you can buy it over the counter and if it's cheaper - often they don't tell you this.
Stay healthy!!! ;-)
2006-09-20 06:59:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
when you pay for a prescription you are actually paying into the nhs, which i think is unfare as people pay national insurance, i work in a chemist and i think its disgusting the price of them. we had a lady come in and the doc had prescribed 5 items, cream, med , tabs etc, it cost her 33.25 it cost her, what a joke.
2006-09-20 08:24:59 · answer #7 · answered by breakdance 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are several reasons why scrips are so expensive. The biggest of them being retailer greed. The mark up at your pharmacy is alot. I take it you are from the UK? do you have Cost-co stores where you live? They have the least mark up of any where and although they are a membership store, you don't have to be a member to use their pharmacies.
2006-09-20 07:04:13 · answer #8 · answered by oldman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seeing your problem, I am glad to be staying in Singapore. My medicine costs me only 20 Singapore cents per day per type of common medicine. I am having hypertension. Consultation fee is Singapore dollars 8.
2006-09-20 07:09:13 · answer #9 · answered by JP E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hello ,
I agree!
if you moved to wales they are going to be free soon,I think the welsh assembly are going by the principles initiated by Aneurin Bevan.(Started health service in uk.)
It is also the cheapest place to buy a house in the uk (in some areas )plus great countryside and generally friendly people.
kind regards gadrial
2006-09-20 07:09:50 · answer #10 · answered by gadriel 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋