I mentioned this a while back but being reported on a little more on BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7838234.stm
do we know if all CML drugs are going to be included as I heard something to the contrary?
rob
You are here
free prescriptions ?
Hi Rob,
I assume this means that only CML drugs that have approval from NICE will be covered.... i.e imatinib/Glivec. See article below.
That means that dasatinib and nilotinib which are still to get through the NICE prosess will not be included.
Best...
Sandy
Cancer patients in England can apply for free drugs from today
20 January 2009
As many as 150,000 cancer patients in England are expected to save up to £100 a year under the new free prescriptions scheme which starts on April 1. People can start applying for their free drugs from today.
The new scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Labour Party’s annual conference in September last year, abolishes the £7.10 per item National Health Service (NHS) prescription charge for everyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer or the effects of cancer treatment. It is expected to reduce income from prescription charges by around £15-£20 million in the first year, rising to £300 million annually when all patients with long-term conditions (around five million in England) are included in the scheme.
Mr Brown told the Party conference that the scheme will be paid for by NHS drugs budget savings generated through increased bulk-buying and greater use of generics rather than branded products.
From today, all cancer patients are entitled to apply for a five-year exemption certificate, which will entitle them to all their NHS prescriptions free of charge, not just those relating to cancer. The certificate can be renewed as many times as necessary and will not have to be returned if the patient's condition changes. Applications received by March 24 will be processed in time to be used for April 1, and Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo has urged patients to make an appointment with their GP from this week to talk about applying for their exemption certificate.
It is believed that the exemptions will only apply to medicines which the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved for use on the NHS.
The move, which has long been called for by patient and charity groups, was welcomed by Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, as “absolutely the right thing to do. Cancer not only threatens your life, but can also make you poor. Free prescriptions will transform the lives of thousands of people living with cancer who were struggling to pay for drugs.”
Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is currently leading a consultation on how the free-drug scheme will be extended, including which long-term conditions will be covered.
- Around 60% of the English population do not pay prescription charges because of their age, they have an income-related exemption or they have a specified medical condition. 88.6% of prescription items are already dispensed in the community free of charge.
Prescription charges have already been abolished completely in Wales, while elsewhere in the UK they are being phased out, with Scotland pledging to end them completely by 2011 and Northern Ireland by 2010.
By Lynne Taylor
Hi Karena,
As far as I can tell from reading the DH website this will cover all prescriptions needed for the 'effects' of cancer.
Please take a look at the 'Essential Reading' section for a link to the DH website. You will find all the information on there.
Also go to
...link here
www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/healthcosts
Sandy
Dear Ali,
You need to pre-apply by using form FP92A ... see info from website below.
You can also send an email asking for information about the new arrangements:
Sandy ;o)
News Article
20 January 2009
Free NHS prescriptions from April for cancer patients.
"The Prime Minister announced in the autumn that people battling cancer will be entitled to exemption from NHS prescription charges from this year, if they hold a valid NHS Medical Exemption Certificate.
From today, cancer patients can pre-apply for an exemption certificate which will be valid from 1 April 2009.
To apply, patients should complete form FP92A available at their doctor's practice or NHS Trust oncology department. Certificates are valid for 5 years and will be renewable for patients still receiving treatment for cancer or the effects of cancer treatment.
Exemption certificates will be issued to those, who in their doctor's judgement are receiving treatment for:
* cancer;
* the effects of cancer; or
* the effects of current or previous cancer treatment.
Guidance about the extension of the list of medical conditions has been issued to doctor's. It includes guidance on who the new medical exemption is intended to cover. A copy of the guidance is available below.
...link here
nhs business service authority