UK warfarin charges

[acr]

As someone who is up for an aortic valve swap, and is leaning towards a mechanical one......do us UK based folks pay for Warfarin. ie do we pay x amount per month (whatever prescription charges are) or can we get the NHS to cover the cost.

And if we pay, can someone in the UK suggest a ball park cost for Warfarin over the priod of a year. Appreciate its a small cost for maintaining life, but I want to know if I'm letting myself in for hundreds or thousands of pounds.

 

[Ross]

Until some of our UK members get up and answer, I can tell you that here in the U.S. I'm paying $5.57 for 60 5mg tablets. That's a little over a month and a halfs worth for me. Generic Warfarin, not brand name Coumadin.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Hi Acr,
I'm in the Uk, Cornwall and have been taking Warfarin for a couple of months or so. The cost is the usual prescription charge, I dont even know what that is but I think it's about £7 ? I've been exempt since my operation because i'm not working for a while.
So that would be about £85/year ? If you have more than one prescripion you can pay about £80/year which covers the cost of all of them. These figures are approximate but definately not hundreds or thousands of pounds.

 

[Curtsmum]

As someone who is up for an aortic valve swap, and is leaning towards a mechanical one......do us UK based folks pay for Warfarin. ie do we pay x amount per month (whatever prescription charges are) or can we get the NHS to cover the cost.

And if we pay, can someone in the UK suggest a ball park cost for Warfarin over the priod of a year. Appreciate its a small cost for maintaining life, but I want to know if I'm letting myself in for hundreds or thousands of pounds.

I wonder about this all the time, although not needed now. They will be replacing my sons valve when he his 18 and i worry about the cost esspecially if he is working. He is also on bp medication and i have been wondering what the cost of it all will be.

 

[ajay_22_86]

God this sucks, we shouldn't have to be paying for it! Though some people might be able to get help with the cost if you get a HC1 form from your pharmacy

 

[Woodbutcher]

It's not that bad is it ? Anyway there are loads of ways to be exempt from the payment and I've never been asked for proof of exemption anyway ? Just asked if I normally pay, to which I reply no...

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Here are the prices at my Local Pharmacy (USA)

Generic Warfarin,
30 tablets - $5,
90 tablets - $10
Which works out to $60/yr if bought monthly
or $40/yr if bought in 3 month supply.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Ross]

Here are the prices at my Local Pharmacy (USA)

Generic Warfarin,
30 tablets - $5,
90 tablets - $10
Which works out to $60/yr if bought monthly
or $40/yr if bought in 3 month supply.

'AL Capshaw'

Converted prices for you U.K folks using U.S. pricing

30 tablets 3.68050 EUR or 3.45773 GBP
90 tablets 7.36366 EUR or 6.91686 GBP

Which works out to 44.2190 EUR or 41.5056 GBP per year
or 29.4838 EUR or 27.6825 GBP per year if you by 3 month supplies.

 

[sue943]

In the UK you cannot shop around, it isn't the same system as the US. Some people will pay nothing, some will pay the standard prescription charge. If you take a number of drugs then you have a cheaper option than paying for each item...

The charge for a single prescription item is £7.10 (£7.20 from 1 April 2009), whereas a 3-month PPC will cost you £27.85 (£28.25 from 1 April 2009) and a 12-month PPC £102.50 (£104.00 from 1 April 2009). The most convenient way to pay for your 12 month PPC is by Direct Debit meaning you can spread the yearly cost evenly over 10 monthly instalments.

So basically you can have as many prescriptions as you need in a year and it will not cost more than £104 for the year.

Of course it will vary depending on where in the UK you live, in Wales prescriptions have been free for everyone since 1st April 2007; the Scottish Assembly plans to abolish all prescription charges by 2011 and the issue is currently under review in Northern Ireland.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Medicinespharmacyandindustry/Prescriptions/NHScosts/DH_508

In the UK it doesn't matter if the drug costs £1 or £200, the charge is exactly the same to the patient. If it is a prescription only drug you cannot buy it at cost.

I think the UK is the same as here in that if you are prescribed several strengths then you only pay one charge as it is all the same drug.