Boots overcharging medical card holder

Grab All Association

My dad get 56 tablets per month (2 boxes on the one prescription as they only come in 28's always charged €2.50) Today in Boots he was charged €5 and only got less than half the prescription (26 tablets instead of the 28 in one pack) robbing bastards. He has to call back in for the rest tomorrow will let you know if he gets a refund but beware getting prescriptions there.

skelligs

or maybe it was an ERROR?

Sometimes places make things called ERRORS - even humans like you and me make them too.

But if you make an error, I doubt if you'd take kindly to being called a robbing bastard especially if you were given no chance at all of redeeming yourself.?????

endofrainbow

perhaps they didn't have the full amount in stock?

monkey8

Chris___ wrote: »

My dad get 56 tablets per month (2 boxes on the one prescription as they only come in 28's always charged €2.50) Today in Boots he was charged €5 and only got less than half the prescription (26 tablets instead of the 28 in one pack) robbing bastards. .

Jesus, chill out there Chris.

If a shop assistant short changed you would you alert him to his mistake or turn around and call him a robbing bastard?

Chris___ wrote: »

He has to call back in for the rest tomorrow will let you know if he gets a refund but beware getting prescriptions there.

Don't bother. Can't see anyone else caring except you.

LynnGrace

Sounds like an error, I would give them a chance to put it right.

I always check Boots, after holding up a queue the entire length of the shop (or that is what if seemed like), when I queried a price.
The product price came up on the till at twice what had been marked on the shelf. The shop assistant checked, apologised, and put it through at the correct price, i.e the price on the shelf.
I always check since then.

countrynosebag

our local chemist (rural ireland) always is clear about charging.
she is often short of meds but ALWAYS has noted it on px AND said to call back for the missing meds at the time.
has never let me down yet. furthermore brought it to me when alone for 2 weeks as disabled and no way to reach village since buses stopped.

i would therefore hope that to mention shortage is normal.
i hope the person queries charges in future AT THE TIME, no need to be rude but say this is not the correct charge for me, always have card with them. i do get asked at times as there is often a locum.

GaelMise

No mistake, its €2.50 per item, not per perscription.

maggiepip

As gaelmise said boots are correct, my mother is on 4 different medications, all come on the one prescription but she gets charged x 4.

foggy_lad

maggiepip wrote: »

As gaelmise said boots are correct, my mother is on 4 different medications, all come on the one prescription but she gets charged x 4.

So 4 different lines/items on the prescription gets charged 4x€2.5 but 4 boxes of the same medication which is only one item on the prescription should only incur one €2.50 charge

maggiepip

foggy_lad wrote: »

So 4 different lines/items on the prescription gets charged 4x€2.5 but 4 boxes of the same medication which is only one item on the prescription should only incur one €2.50 charge

Oh sorry its the same med - well then it should only be one charge surely - prob just a mistake though.

Grab All Association

When he went back they charged him another €2.50 for the rest of the prescription he paid double the price for already.

foggy_lad

Chris___ wrote: »

When he went back they charged him another €2.50 for the rest of the prescription he paid double the price for already.

Tell him to complain about it to them and also to his doctor! He should not be getting ripped off like that by some British chain store.

GaelMise

foggy_lad wrote: »

So 4 different lines/items on the prescription gets charged 4x€2.5 but 4 boxes of the same medication which is only one item on the prescription should only incur one €2.50 charge

Nope, four boxes of the same meds actually counts as 4 items, so you would pay 4x€2.50.
This is capped to ten items or €25 per month.

Not Boots's fault, blame the Government.

maggiepip

GaelMise wrote: »

Nope, four boxes of the same meds actually counts as 4 items, so you would pay 4x€2.50.
This is capped to ten items or €25 per month.

Not Boots's fault, blame the Government.

I think you are incorrect. The charges as far as I am aware are per prescribed item as in per prescribed medication. It doesnt make sense if, say one person was on drug x at a dose of 20 mg, and a second person was on the same drug x at a dose of 40 mg, that the second person would be paying double charges (assuming the drugs highest strength single dose was 20mg).

uck51js9zml2yt

It's per line item.
I get my Mams meds every month and if the pharmacy is short I get told and am not charged for the balance.

foggy_lad

GaelMise wrote: »

Nope, four boxes of the same meds actually counts as 4 items, so you would pay 4x€2.50.
This is capped to ten items or €25 per month.

Not Boots's fault, blame the Government.

No! 4 different lines on the prescription counts as 4 items but ten boxes of the same medication on one line of the prescription is only one item!

British chain stores robbing us poor paddies yet again!

Mick Murdock

I would be more inclined to think this was a staff member not knowing what they're doing than a Boots policy.. No?

L1011

Either a staff error or a dispensing software error I'd imagine - policy that's against the USE contract would be a very bad idea.

GaelMise

foggy_lad wrote: »

No! 4 different lines on the prescription counts as 4 items but ten boxes of the same medication on one line of the prescription is only one item!

Where are you getting that information from?

maggiepip

GaelMise wrote: »

Where are you getting that information from?

Where are you getting your information from? I think youre taking the HSE website too literally. Its per prescribed medication.

L1011

GaelMise wrote: »

Where are you getting that information from?

The actual legislation that introduced the charge, I'd suspect - as that is the case. You are incorrect here.

K.Flyer

Chris___ wrote: »

When he went back they charged him another €2.50 for the rest of the prescription he paid double the price for already.

Go back to Boots and complain, they have it wrong!
They should not have done that, he has been overcharged for the item already.
The charge is 2.50 per line item.
For example:
Line 1,
125 tabs of 10mg Fixyerache (2.5 boxes) = 1st Item (2.50 euro)
Line 2,
50 tabs of 5mg Fixyerache (1 box) = 2nd Item (2.50 euro)
I have often been left short by either of my local pharmacies for my son's meds (on med card) and have never ever been charged again.

maggiepip

K.Flyer wrote: »

Go back to Boots and complain, they have it wrong!
They should not have done that, he has been overcharged for the item already.
The charge is 2.50 per line item.
For example:
Line 1,
125 tabs of 10mg Fixyerache (2.5 boxes) = 1st Item (2.50 euro)
Line 2,
50 tabs of 5mg Fixyerache (1 box) = 2nd Item (2.50 euro)
I have often been left short by either of my local pharmacies for my son's meds (on med card) and have never ever been charged again.

Just to confuse things is there a reason why they cant prescribe the dose all in one line in 5 mg tabs? eg. 300 tablets of 5 mg = 2.50 charge instead of 5 euro? I know it would be messier but it would be only one charge?

K.Flyer

maggiepip wrote: »

Just to confuse things is there a reason why they cant prescribe the dose all in one line in 5 mg tabs? eg. 300 tablets of 5 mg = 2.50 charge instead of 5 euro? I know it would be messier but it would be only one charge?

Sorry if I created any confusion.

I was using this example to highlight, that even the same meds but different strengths can incur a seperate charge, but that the one type irrespective of quantity should still be one charge.

maggiepip

K.Flyer wrote: »

Sorry if I created any confusion.

I was using this example to highlight, that even the same meds but different strengths can incur a seperate charge, but that the one type irrespective of quantity should still be one charge.

No you didnt confuse! I understand there how the 2 different dosages of the same med is giving 2 charges. I was just trying to point out if all the tablets were prescribed in 5 mg dose on one line instead of 10mg and 5mg doses on separate lines, the prescription could be purchased cheaper with one charge. So instead of taking one 10mg tablet and one 5 mg tablet, three 5mg tablets could be taken. But that would probably be a bit messy to save 2.50 , but it would save 2.50!

K.Flyer

You are right, and it would probably cut down on unnecessary packaging as well.

homerjay2005

i think its pretty scabby to see somebody complaining over the cost of drugs that are already seriously discounted.

€5 is nothing to pay for any tablets in this country, one of the most expensive medical markets in the world.....but some people just keep wanting more.

K.Flyer

homerjay2005 wrote: »

i think its pretty scabby to see somebody complaining over the cost of drugs that are already seriously discounted.

€5 is nothing to pay for any tablets in this country, one of the most expensive medical markets in the world.....but some people just keep wanting more.

I don't remember anyone complaining about paying the 2.50 per item, in the original post the question was whether it was correct that someone had been charged a second time for the remainder of the single item which had not been fully dispensed earlier.