Are patients with Polycythaemia Rubra Vera entitled for Free Prescriptions?

I’ve never paid for mine and I was 57 when diagnosed.

They never asked me at the hospital.

Hope this helps!

Dear Alex Mir,

You young people and your money problems. But seriously, when the ruling first came out that cancer treatment would be free of charge I enquired about about getting Hydroxyurea free of charge and was told that I had to get an exemption certificate. Being young and reasonable well paid I decided that buying four prescriptions a year was easier than getting said certificate. After about three visits to the pharmacy I proffered my money only to be told that I should not have been asked for payments since the ruling and that I could download a form to claim the costs back. Since I had no record of the dates I decided just to go along with the free supply. I then became age exempt, along with many other PV sufferers and never thought of it again until your postings. Sorry this does not help but perhaps you should double check with your pharmacy as there is at least two precedents.

ItchyChris

There is another aspect to this discussion that will also need consideration.  I have never found it necessary to concern myself with drug costings as I have always received whatever drugs the Haematologist felt I needed.  I did discuss this question of whether PV is a cancerous condition as there is no confirmed medical view that it is in fact so.  I was advised by my consultant that it would not be treated as cancerous unless there was a presence of cancer cells in the blood which would confirm the diagnosis.  I am not aware that this view has altered and it is certainly not cast in stone to this day.  I have suffered with PV for many a year but never has it been suggested that my PV is or was, cancerous.  Quite frankly I think it is a question of just what your medical adviser is attuned to.  The hospital I use has a very high reputation, particularly in haematology and research and currently considers MPN disorders and other similar complaints as high on its list for investigation.  A very aware hospital indeed that has looked after me well.  PV is not initially instigated by a cancerous aspect but by a defective gene from birth which apparently has no cancerous aspect but, as is well known, that over time it could progress into a more cancerous disorder..

Hello Alex

I am getting my Hydroxy- Carbamide and Anagrelide drugs directly from my hospital, which I don’t pay for. It was my wife who then investigated as to whether I was eligible for all other prescriptions that I take that are not related to my PV treatment and as it turned out I was. I simply popped down to my GP Surgery, filled out the necessary forms, which then had to be signed by my GP. I now have a Medical Exemption Certificate and this is saving me quite a bit of money on all my other drugs. So the answer is yes, you are entitled to all other NHS prescriptions free of charge.

Hope this helps

Kind regards

Keith