Prescribing of Over-the-Counter Medicines
GPs in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen CCG's will no longer normally prescribe medicines which can be bought over-the-counter for short term conditions and minor ailments.
CCG Position Statement / Prescribing Guidance
What are short-term conditions and minor ailments?
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| Short-term conditions tend to improve on their own without a long-term effect on a person’s health. Minor |
ailments are uncomplicated conditions which can be diagnosed and managed without seeing the doctor.
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Some examples of these include:coughs, colds and sore throats; colic; threadworms; verrucas; warts; acne and indigestion.
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| What are over-the-counter medicines? |
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can be bought directly without a prescription from a high street pharmacy, supermarket or other shops and online. Some examples include: paracetamol and ibuprofen; antihistamines; eye drops to treat allergies and
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indigestion treatments.
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| Why will over-the-counter medicines no longer be routinely prescribed? |
| We recently reviewed our policy to prescribe OTC medicines following a consultation with the public during July 2017, on |
stopping the routine prescribing of these medicines. The majority of people who responded to our consultation supported this
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| proposal. The NHS spends valuable financial resources and doctors’ time on prescribing medicines and other products |
| that you can buy without a prescription. The money we can save could help to fund more procedures e.g.hip and knee |
| replacements, more drug treatments for breast cancer and more community nurses. |
| As our local population continues to grow, this prescribing places more pressure on scarce NHS resources. Medicines can be |
bought from shops or pharmacies after seeking appropriate advice from a healthcare professional. Significant savings can be
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| made by not taking up a GP appointment for the supply of an OTC medicine and should also increase the availability of |
| appointments for patients with more serious conditions. In order to fund services of the greatest need in Lancashire, |
| we need to make sure that public money is being used in the most cost effective way. Reducing the prescribing of OTC |
| medicines is also now part of the NHS England agenda. Many CCGs around the country are restricting or stopping the |
| prescribing of OTC medicines on the NHS. It is not just the cost of the medicines which could be a saving but also NHS costs |
| or the entire process (including GP time for an appointment). |
