The nhs are stopping prescribing medication that can be bought over the counter.
Can I ask when the nhs plan to talk to CQC?
any patient who has care agencies entering there home cannot have support with a medication if it is bought over the counter because it does not have a posh sticky label from a dispensing pharmacist.
Does the NHS have an agreed solution with CQC for this problem?
Or are people in receipt of home care expected to suffer as they cannot have any over the counter medications and GPs will not prescribe medication that can be bought over the counter.
is there a current way round this issue?
or is it just a case that you have to go without over the counter medication?
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6 Replies
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I wonder would you consider adding to your post to include more information about any possible ban on the prescribing of 'over-the-counter' medications?
The reason is that I had not heard of a blanket ban coming into force, and I cannot find any further information online to corroborate what you have said.
For a long while GPs have encouraged patients to buy 'over-the-counter' rather than having prescriptions because, for one thing, it is often far cheaper than the cost of a prescription.
But, like you, I can see some difficulties ahead if such a plan were not thought through thoroughly (sorry about all the th's!).
Another potential difficulty would be for anyone who needs drugs like long term non-prescription co-codamol, given the witch-hunt about using it for longer than 3 days at a time. Similarly women under 18 and over 60 would be unable to buy vaginal thrush medications in many pharmacies, (especially Boots the Chemist), who make such an embarrassingly noisy fuss and refuse to sell it outside of that age-group.
So I do think it would be useful, and make it easier to comment on your specific point, if you could add details about whether this is a firm policy, when it will come into force, and whether it will apply to England only, or other parts of the UK
• in reply to
This is a CQC ruling for care homes and care agencies. It is to protect the workers.
But it does not protect service users it means we have to go without medication if it does not have a posh sticky label on it.
There was a scheme called care at the chemist, you registered with a chemist, and they would provide the items, for example, head lice, anti histamines etc, that your doc would normally do. Think this was to save time for docs. It was free if you already got free prescriptions. Not entirely sure it still runs, but maybe thats why they've stopped the doc doing it cos thats in place?
I have just googled it, and it is still available, it covers minor ailments that the pharmacist can diagnose and deal with, they will tell you if they think you need to see doc instead. As far as I know, you register with one particular chemist, so probably best at a supermarket one that is open later
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