Poplar Grove Policy Over The Counter Prescribing
Poplar Grove Practice will not provide prescriptions for over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor health concerns.
The NHS has been spending around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, such as paracetamol.
NHS England recommends that over-the-counter medication for 35 minor conditions should not be prescribed in primary care.
| Acute sore throat | Infrequent cold sores of the lip | Conjunctivitis |
| Infant colic | Coughs/colds/nasal congestion | Cradle cap (infants) |
| Haemorrhoids | Mild cystitis | Mild irritant dermatitis |
| Dandruff | Diarrhoea (adults) | Dry/sore/tired eyes |
| Earwax | Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) | Head lice |
| Indigestion and heartburn | Infrequent constipation | Infrequent migraine |
| Insect bites and stings | Mild acne | Mild dry skin |
| Sunburn | Sun protection | Mild to moderate hay fever |
| Minor burns and scalds | Minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and/or fever | Mouth ulcers |
| Nappy rash | Oral thrush | Prevention of dental caries |
| Ringworm/athletes foot | Teething/mild toothache | Threadworms |
| Travel sickness | Warts and verrucae | Probiotics,vitamins and minerals |
Exceptions to this policy:
You may still be prescribed a medicine for a condition on the list if:
- You need treatment for a long-term condition, e.g. regular pain relief for chronic arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
- You need treatment for more complex forms of minor illnesses, e.g. migraines that are very bad and where over the counter medicines do not work.
- You need an over-the-counter medicine to treat a side effect of a prescription medicine or symptom of another illness, e.g. constipation when taking certain painkillers.
- The medicine has a licence which doesn’t allow the product to be sold over the counter to certain groups of patients. This could include babies, children or women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- The person prescribing thinks that a patient cannot treat themselves, for example because of mental health problems or severe social vulnerability.
Our GPs will continue to treat patients according to their individual needs which may include issuing prescriptions when self-care is inappropriate. The GPs decision to either prescribe or not prescribe an OTC medication is final and binding.