Private Prescription Service

A private prescription is when a patient pays for their medicines instead of the prescription being subsidized by the National Health Service (NHS). A Private prescription can be written on any piece of paper by a doctor who is UK registered and has a General Medical Council (GMC) number. To obtain a private prescription a patient will usually have to pay a fee to a doctor from a private practice and another fee to the pharmacy that dispenses their required medication.  This fee may be more or less than the standard NHS prescription charge as the fee for a private prescription is based on the cost of the drug, the amount supplied and also a dispensing fee which may be a flat rate or calculated from the actual cost of the drug.  An NHS prescription fee is a standard fee which is in no way related to the cost of the drug or the quantity supplied.

Private prescriptions are not subsidised by the Government and this means that they may cost you a bit more than you are used to paying for your medicines.  Costs can vary from medicine to medicine and from pharmacy to pharmacy so it may be worth your while to check costs a few different pharmacies before buying any medication.  Many medicines are on a list that means that they are not allowed to be prescribed on the NHS and thus the patient has only the option to pay for their medicines by firstly obtaining a private prescription. Many patients find this advantageous as many antibiotics such as amoxicillin and erythromycin would cost less on a private prescription than paying the £7.65 NHS charge.  If the cost of the medicine is too much for you then consult your doctor to find out if there are other treatments that are available through the NHS.  If you have private health insurance you may be covered for the cost of the private prescription.

Any online pharmacy operating in the UK must be in receipt of a prescription prior to dispensing any medicines and many of these online pharmacies have their own in-house or third party doctors available to consult with patients and write a private prescription if deemed necessary.  Some customers prefer to order drugs from an online pharmacy to avoid the hassle of visiting a doctor or to acquire medications that their doctors are reluctant to supply or in some cases the patient may feel embarrassed to ask about.  Many people are now turning to online pharmacies as obtaining prescribed medications can be expensive and the same level of service is offered online and in a lot of cases at a lower cost.

The cost of treatment on a private prescription includes the cost of the medicine prescribed plus the dispensing fee.  As I mentioned before it is best to shop around as the total cost of your private prescription will vary between pharmacies.

Choose the right weight loss supplements for your body

There is one common thread that rings true when it comes to weight loss and that is, if you want to lose weight then you need to be committed to making it happen.  Most weight loss supplements will work in aiding weight loss but they need to be accompanied by healthy eating and exercise.  In short, there is no magic weight loss pill. There is such a wide array of weight loss supplements on the market.  From drinks to prescription medication aimed at defeating obesity to over the counter pills.  Thanks to the mindset   ‘I need to be thinner’ there are new weight loss products released onto the market every year and many people are under the false impression that these supplements will work overnight.

The popularity of weight loss supplements has hugely increased over the past few years as more and more people face the problem of being overweight or find the stigma attached to being fat hard to deal with.  Weight loss supplements are any type of medicine that claims to help an individual lose weight.  These over the counter supplements are extremely popular with people who are looking for some kind of magical solution to the weight problems.  The problem is that most of these people are not aware that these weight loss products may not be safe and can cause more harm to the body in the long term.  A consultation with a doctor is recommended before purchasing any weight loss product over the counter.  In many cases a doctor will discourage the use of such supplements as more often than not they do not work.

Some products will give a result of slight weight loss but the potential side effects of these products tend to overshadow the actual weight loss.  Certain products have even been banned but can still be found in some chemists.  Products like this should be avoided as in some cases they can prove fatal.  There are also many herbal weight loss supplements available on the market but many of these have conflicting results or insufficient evidence to prove their claims.  These supplements are known as fat burners and they way they work is by boosting the body’s metabolism.  Doctors do prescribe these to patients but the patient’s progress is monitored closely.  Due to the lack of labelling of ingredients on these products, drastic increase in high blood pressure and heart problems, use of these supplements is discouraged by the FDA.

Whether your weight loss supplements are prescribed or not you should use them as advised as prolonged use can lead to addiction and there are many drug rehabilitation centres that work with people who are struggling with addiction to weight loss supplements.

To summarise, the perfect body is something that is dreamed about by an increasing number of people and because of this more and more weight loss products are flooding the market.  Do your research and consult your doctor before purchasing any of these supplements to avoid any adverse effects on your general health.