Hi ladies, quick question. Are pregnant women supposed to pay for medication ?

No you shouldnt be paying. Your midwofe should have given you an excemption certificate when you where 16 weeks pregnant. Ive never had to show it thought as the prescription usually has the excemption on it

Midwife should have sent off for maternity exemption certificate for you at your first appointment. That covers any NHS Prescriptions until a year from your due date x

The certificate is valid for 1 year after the babies birth. So April 2025. Free NHS dental care also.

Thank you ladies ! I just found the certificate.
My GP is trying to make me pay for Iron tablets and my Vitamin D ... They say they do not prescribe these and I can just get it off the counter... However, these are higher doses as I have iron and vitamin D deficiency 🤔 so it needs to be prescribed regardless ... every time I tell them I don't need to pay for it, they are adamant that they do not prescribe these ... It's just so confusing ... Thank you ladies !

No we don't pay. But they do try not to prescribe.things you can buy over the counter.

I take asprin due to my pre eclampsia risk and that isn't prescribed because it can be bought over.the counter but I also find some pharmacies are being silly and refusing to sell me them because I'm pregnant and saying I need a prescription

If the prescription is like less than £2 they won’t prescribe because it’s costing the NHS more than what the prescription is as prescriptions are £9 odd! I had to take extra Folic acid at the start of my pregnancy as I was pregnant with twins (sadly lost one) but when pregnant with twins you have to double up on stuff so these where prescribed! Xx

that's exactly what happened to me!

Hi, GP pharmacist here! If it is medication that can be bought over the counter we are no longer prescribing these. So if you have been advised to take 400mcg of folic acid and 1000units or less of vitamin D, then yes you do have to buy this. If the strength is higher (so folic acid 5mg for whatever reason) then it would be prescribed. For higher doses of vitamin D they may prescribe a loading dose which is basically a really high strength for a short period of time, then you buy over the counter after this. Anything they prescribe though, you should get for free if you have filled out the maternity exemption form. Hope this helps

Yep incog... I have 0 problems paying the 85p for asprin but if they won't sell to me what can I do. I've currently got a request in with my GP I asked for enough to get me to 36 weeks as I've bee advised but he only prescribed 14 days worth 😭

I get my aspirin from savers, I feel they won’t question or deny like an actual pharmacy would. It is frustrating when they do though x

Just to everyone here, please make sure you’ve actually applied for the exemption!!! Your midwife should have given you a form that you may have to complete part of and send off yourself! Make sure you have the actually certificate and not the form!!! I work in complaints and have seen too many women think they had the exemption and then get multiple fines for various prescriptions throughout pregnancy!

not easy for me to get places tbh but yes I've started going to other stores it's just a lot of the time the low dose ones are kept behind a pharmacy counter

oh I didn’t know there were other doses of the aspirin 🤦🏼‍♀️

yes I'm only supposed to take 150mg and a normal tablet is 300... I trust the low dose boxes more than me attempting to half the tablet hahah

ohhh I get the 75mg ones. I didn’t know there was ones higher lol xx

What is your vitamin D dosage and name of medication?

take 2x 75mg. Thats what I was told to do. 74p or something! Sold in supermarkets. Self service. I take mine as high risk of pre eclampsia! Xx

yep that's exactly what I do but for some reason they are so funny selling me the 75mg ones when I can legit buy 300mg in any store!

I got prescribed 20000 dosage of vitamin D so very high dose to take 1 per week for a month. It seems ridiculously high - have you seen this dosage given in pregnancy?

who’s funny? You can buy 2x packets of 75mg at self service! Xx

I haven't found the 75mg packs in the supermarkets near me. Ive only been able to get it at a pharmacy counter. The pharmacist won't give me them without prescription... Depending on which pharmacy. I ended up having to get Dr to prescribe it the other day as I was just out of meds and had no1 to pick any up or help me

I do my weekly shop at Sainsbury’s and get 2x packets a week on scan and go. I’ve also go them opposite my work at Morrisons before. No issues! My consultant/midwife said they won’t prescribe it as it’s so cheap compared to a prescription which I totally get and would never run up the NHS like that! I got my extra dosages of folic acid prescribed (I was pregnant with twins so needed double) at the start and I got my anti sickness prescribed. I’ve had antibiotics while pregnant but not aspirin! Xx

just a thought I’ve had them from a pharmacy before too! No issues… having said they are that used to me now lol. But get your consultant or midwife to put it in writing. Doesn’t need to be a prescription just in writing maybe. Not that I’ve had any issues buying it. Or get your partner to go buy it!

oh trust me if I could have found anyone who would serve me I would have. I'm not trying to get shamed here. I needed the meds and I couldn't get it so I asked my GP once. The rest of the time I have happily paid but I am not putting myself at risk of pre eclampsia again when I nearly died last time I had a baby.

I am not someone to abuse the NHS and I certainly do not want to. I have 0 qualms paying for the meds in fact when I got them I offered to pay the retail instead but as it was on a prescription they wouldn't let me.

I do not live in an area where it seems people just stock low dose asprin on normal shelves it always seems to be in the pharmacy and I tried at least 4 before asking my GP.

no no. Not saying you do… I just find it odd that’s all that they don’t stock them. Have you asked them why? I live in a small seaside town that’s all so we don’t get what most cities etc get but all ok here so just wondered why. Seems odd… I’d defo ask. And I wonder why your pharmacy won’t let you have them.

Your midwife should send you a medical exemption certificate which also covers dental care. Not sure at what stage I received mine but I’d definitely ring and ask if you haven’t been given one

hi Anna, so that's a loading dose to basically get your vitamin D level high enough before you go on a maintenance dose otherwise it doesn't really get into the recommended range. This happens typically if your vitamin D level is lower than 25mmol. I don't have many pregnant patients so I haven't personally seen this dose in pregnant people, but I have seen it quite commonly in non-pregnant people and the SPS states loading doses can be considered if lab results indicate a need for it. Xx

thanks! I was under 50mmol so deemed insufficient and now with this dosage I am now back into high range so I guess that makes sense :)

sorry forgot to ask - do you know if now that I am in the high range close to boderline 90mml. I had to take my last capsule of 20000units today so assume it will go up again! is it worth keeping a maintenance dose or I have to wait until it goes down again so I can start maintenance dose, how long does it stay on the body?