Free Prescriptions Question

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zac1972

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am currently on Metformin SR to control my type 2 diabetes, have been on the tablet for 2 years+ and have good control, most of my HBa1C readings are around 5 consistently. My blood pressure is extremely high and I have to take 2 lot of medications which bring it down to about 140/93 which is still high but loads better than without the meds. Obviously because I am on the Metformin and am diabetic, I qualify for free prescriptions. But I believe after many tests/special diets etc that my suspected IBS symptoms are in fact being caused by my metformin intake, last week I accidentely left my tablets at work whilst I was off and did not take them for 6 days until I got back to work and for the first time ever in about a year my stomach problems disapeared and it was bliss, as soon as I started re-taking the metformin my discomfort has returned with a vengence which makes me wonder whether I should come off the metformin, but if I loose my right to free prescriptions I will no longer get my bp meds for free and I really can't afford to buy them as I am struggling money wise as it is. So my question to anyone who has knowledge of the exempt rules for prescriptions is whether BP meds for high bp due to diabetes count towards the exemption rule.

thanks
 
Hi Zac, welcome to the forum 🙂 I can't answer your question for sure, but I suspect that the BP medication alone would have to be paid for and wouldn't be seen as a primary treatment for your diabetes. Have you tried other forms of metformin e.g. Glucophage SR, which is a slow-release version and some people tolerate much better?

Hopefully, someone with firmer knowledge - perhaps our resident pharmacist, or someone who is diet and exercise controlled but with high BP can give a definitive answer.
 
zac1972 said:
I am currently on Metformin SR to control my type 2 diabetes, have been on the tablet for 2 years+ and have good control, most of my HBa1C readings are around 5 consistently. My blood pressure is extremely high and I have to take 2 lot of medications which bring it down to about 140/93 which is still high but loads better than without the meds. Obviously because I am on the Metformin and am diabetic, I qualify for free prescriptions. But I believe after many tests/special diets etc that my suspected IBS symptoms are in fact being caused by my metformin intake, last week I accidentely left my tablets at work whilst I was off and did not take them for 6 days until I got back to work and for the first time ever in about a year my stomach problems disapeared and it was bliss, as soon as I started re-taking the metformin my discomfort has returned with a vengence which makes me wonder whether I should come off the metformin, but if I loose my right to free prescriptions I will no longer get my bp meds for free and I really can't afford to buy them as I am struggling money wise as it is. So my question to anyone who has knowledge of the exempt rules for prescriptions is whether BP meds for high bp due to diabetes count towards the exemption rule.

thanks
Click to expand...
Did you have IBS before you were diagnosed with diabetes?
 
No, you need to be taking medication directly treating diabetes to eligible for the exemption. As far as I am aware though the exemption certificates last five years and you would still not have to pay while ever your current certificate is valid.

If you are struggling moneywise to the extent you cannot afford an annual pre-payment certificate which costs ?104 per year you really should qualify for free prescriptions anyway on the grounds of low income.
 
I also had stomach problems with Metformin SR and have been better off with the regular version. What dosage are you taking? I found having to take 2 x 500mg at one time was causing stomach ache. I'm back taking the normal 850mg ones now.
 
My exemption certificate covers all my medications, not just my diabetes stuff.
 
AlisonM said:
My exemption certificate covers all my medications, not just my diabetes stuff.
Click to expand...

Yes they all do. But to get the certificate you have to have diabetes treated by medication or have one of the other small number of qualifying medical conditions of which hypertension/cardio-vascular disease is not one (this is in England anyway).
 
Yes, sorry, you're right. I wasn't paying proper attention when I read this thread.

I had serious plumbing problems with straight Metformin and am now on Glucophage SR, Metformin by another name and Sitagliptin. I'm not sure if there's a difference between that and Metformon SR, but I'm doing much better on the slow release version.
 
Seems like the answer is as I expected :( I'm already on the slow release 2 x 500mg both taken together at lunchtime, I never had symptoms previously and to be honest I never had problems even when on the metformin until about a year ago. But all the restrictive diets I've been put on by dieticians such as wheat free/dairy free/low fibre etc have not worked and have made it impossible to carry on loosing weight which I also would like to achieve, my stomach problems probably started about a year after starting metformin and after actually loosing a stone in weight from when I was diagnosed as type 2 and knowing loosing weight would help. Dietician thinks that loosing the weight upset my system but as I mentioned not taking the metformin for 5 days really helped so I do suspect it may be that now, or at least it is not helping matters. Maybe I'll speak to my GP about halving my dose and see if that helps. My exemption cert runs out in 2013 but didn't know if the pharmacist would still let me use it if he could see I was no longer on diabetes meds.
 
My guess is that if you need to take medication to control your dm then your doctor would put you on some other med instead if you asked to stop the Metformin. There are plenty of other meds that don't have the side effects and as long as you are still taking something for the dm you can keep the exemption cert.
 
Like Jules I suspect that if you came off the metformin then you would probably need another medication to help control the blood sugars. Have you tried splitting the dose of metformin or taking it in the evening?
 
Hi, I take 2 x 500mg Metformin regular but one after breakfast and the other after lunch. Tried taking a third one after evening meal but that was just too much.

Either split them, take one in the morning after breakfast, one at lunch, or drop one at lunchtime and see if that improves things. Tell your GP or nurse what you are doing but take control of your medication to treat your diabetes.

Good luck with it and I hope you are feeling better soon - IBS sounds horrible.
 
Hi Zac

You could try another type of medication, say gliclazide or something (sorry, brain meltdown) coz your exemption certificate will cover you for any diabetes meds and any other meds that are on the same prescription. You can get exemption from charges with the following criteria:

* If you are aged 60 or over.
* If you are under 16.
* If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education.
* If you are pregnant, or have had a baby in the previous 12 months, and have an exemption certificate (see below).
* If you have a listed medical condition and have an exemption certificate (see below).
* If you are an NHS in-patient.
* If you (or your partner) gets one of the following:
o Income Support.
o Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
o Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
o Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.
* If you are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
* Some war pensioners - if treatment is connected with the pensionable disability.
* People on a low income who have a certificate HC2 (see below).

To get a medical exemption you must suffer from one of the following:
* Treatment for cancer; note this includes treatment for the effects of cancer, or treatment for the effects of a current or previous cancer treatment. (Not available for patients in Scotland.)
* A permanent fistula requiring dressing.
* Forms of hypoadrenalism such as Addison's disease.
* Diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism.
* Diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone.
* Hypoparathyroidism.
* Myxoedema (underactive thyroid) or other conditions where thyroid hormone replacement is necessary.
* Myasthenia gravis.
* Epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive medication.
* A continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without help from another person.

Tah Dah!!!

How much you can get away with using the card when not on diabetes meds depends on the attention paid by your pharmacy team. Which will depend on the size of your pharmacy. If you're going to a local, privately owned independant, your pharmacist may rumble you, but i'm guessing (by the standards of superdrugs and the hospital pharmacies i've worked in) if you go to a big multiple, or swop pharmacies a lot, they may not notice. Oh but you might get in trouble with the Prescription Pricing Authority, if they get a load of your prescriptions back, you've signed the back and haven't had any diabetes meds in a while, they may demard the money instead.

Rachel
 
hi zac alot of people experience problems with metformin ... i would see your gp and look at a different diabetic med ..dont just stop them all together ...im only on 1x500mg a day and it suits me just fine ... good luck 🙂
 
just like you i had many problems with metfor they caused me to have IBS as well ,its a catch 22 really the devil you know against the devil you dont ,
i found staying away from dairy produce and wheat helped me but that does`nt say it will help you its a case of trial and error m8 ,make a list of things you eat over a week and highlight the days you get bad bowel movement that way you can see a pattern emerge and what foods will cause a problem ,hope ive helped a bit i know how painful it can be
 
metformin/gliclazide

itoo could not handle metformin, struggled to leave the toilet, now on gliclazide and fine so far, see your doctor and ask about switching
 
Thanks all, am overdue my 6mth review so will talk to GP at that once I can finally get an appt that does not coincide with my kids school runs!! Halving or changing time of meds seems like a good first move. I have tried all sorts of diets/restrictions including wheat free/dairy free/low fibre/resistant starch free etc etc ... and still no further forward. Luckally having to rush to loo is not one of my symptoms and only happened for first month of metformin. My symptoms are more a bloating/stomach pains/uncomfortableness type ... which sort of ties in to it being an intolerance hence all the different diets so far!! Not nice as its pretty much making me feel depressed and the other half is getting bit fed up of not even being able to cuddle me most evenings as I am so uncomfortable .... but still hoping we'll find the answer soon.
 
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