Over the counter medicines
The prescribing of over the counter medicines is changing. Your GP, nurse or pharmacist will not generally give you a prescription for over the counter medicines for a range of minor health concerns.
Instead, over the counter medicines are available to buy from your local pharmacy or supermarket.
The NHS currently spends around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, such as paracetamol.
The costs to the NHS for many of the items used to treat minor conditions are often higher than the prices for which they can be purchased over the counter as there are hidden costs. For example, a pack of 16 paracetamol 500mg tablets can be purchased for less than 50p from a pharmacy, whereas the cost to the NHS is around three times as much.
By reducing the amount it spends on over the counter medicines, the NHS can give priority to treatments for people with more serious conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and mental health problems.
Your local pharmacy can offer help and clinical advice to manage minor health concerns and if your symptoms suggest it’s more serious, they’ll ensure you get the care you need.
Find out more
- Read our policy on Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care
- Prescribing of over the counter medicines is changing leaflet
- Prescribing of over the counter medicines is changing leaflet - easy read
- Find out about the local engagement we carried out on this national consultation on our You Said, We Did page under Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care
- Read the frequently asked questions below.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG's policy Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care is mostly made up of a list of clinical conditions where we are asking patients and prescribers to take a different approach. You can view the list of Conditions covered by this policy in the section below. In the past, patients would sometimes consult a doctor or nurse in their GP practice and receive a prescription to treat one of these conditions. However, these conditions can usually be treated via self-care, which may involve talking to a pharmacist and possibly buying an over the counter product to help manage the condition. This means that: All clinical commissioning groups in England will be implementing similar policies on over the counter medicines. You can find out more on the NHS website here. The Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy covers the following conditions: Other items covered by the policy The Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy applies to everyone. However, there are a range of exceptions included within it. Please see the section below Are there exceptions to the policy? for more information. General exceptions to the policy: There are certain scenarios where patients should continue to have their over the counter medicine prescribed and these are outlined below: Being exempt from paying a prescription charge does not automatically warrant an exception to the guidance. The general exceptions do not apply for vitamins, minerals, probiotics and those self-limiting conditions where there is limited evidence of clinical effectiveness for the treatments used. Specific exceptions to the policy: These have been categorised as items of limited clinical effectiveness i.e. they provide little or no benefit to most people who take them. However, there is evidence that they are of benefit in some conditions and these are set out in the exceptions in the product-specific section of the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. Vitamins and minerals exceptions: Probiotics exceptions: Other than for these exceptions, vitamins, minerals or probiotics should not routinely be prescribed. The general exceptions do not apply to these products. Please see Are vitamins, minerals and probiotics included? The Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy allows for treatment when a blood test has shown that a person has a very low level of Vitamin D. Your doctor or nurse will write a prescription for Vitamin D to bring the levels back up to normal. After this, you will be advised and encouraged to arrange for your own supply to keep blood levels up. You can read the NHS guidance here, which also includes advice and guidance regarding specific patient groups such as babies, children and low income families. Over the counter medicines are available from your local pharmacy, as well as from supermarkets and other shops. There are a number of exceptions in the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. See Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. Age is not an exception to the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. However, you may meet one of the exception criteria in the policy. See Does the policy apply to everyone? and Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. There are a number of exceptions in the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. See Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. Exemption from prescription charges is not an exception to the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. However, you may meet one of the exemption criteria in the policy. See Does the policy apply to everyone? for more details. Yes, age is not an exception to the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. However, you may meet one of the exception criteria in the policy. See Does the policy apply to everyone? and Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. There are a number of exceptions in the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. See Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. Some medicines can only be bought over the counter if the patient meets certain criteria. Please talk to your pharmacist and ask if this applies to you. If it does, the situation is covered by one of the exception criteria. See Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. Yes. Please ask your child’s school or nursery for an Administration of OTC medicines consent form. Further information is available by reading Administration of medicines in schools and early years settings guidance. The Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy has a list of exceptions where over the counter medicines will continue to be prescribed. In this case, the exception below will apply: "Patients prescribed an over the counter medicine for a long term condition (e.g. regular pain relief for chronic arthritis or treatments for inflammatory bowel disease)". Yes. Pharmacists are highly-trained healthcare professionals who can provide advice on all aspects of medicines use. There are lots of pharmacies in Birmingham and Solihull, many of which are open at weekends and late into the evening - you can find your nearest one here. If you have limited mobility, it may be possible to ask a friend or family member to buy routine over the counter medicines on your behalf. If you are fully house-bound and have no other way of receiving the treatment you need, you may meet one of the exemption criteria in the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy. See Are there exceptions to the policy? for more details. Hospitals have been advised of the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy and are expected to respect it. Yes, they have been told about the Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy and asked to support it. We are advising people with the minor conditions listed in Conditions covered by this policy to visit their local pharmacy for advice. Please do not attend out of hours or A&E services just to try to get over the counter medicines. Dentists and optometrists (opticians) have also been told about the policy and asked to support it. The Pharmacy First scheme was discontinued earlier this year. Other similar schemes are under review. Yes. The Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care policy will be reviewed by June 2022. However, it will be updated before that if there is a change in the clinical evidence underpinning the policy, a change in national guidance or some other important need for review. You can contact the Complaints Team at NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG by: More information is available on our Compliments, Concerns and Complaints page.What does this policy mean?
Conditions covered by this policy
Does the policy apply to everyone?
Are there exceptions to the policy?
Are vitamins, minerals and probiotics included?
What about maintenance doses of Vitamin D?
Where can I find out more about self-care?
If you are no longer prescribing these medicines, where can I get them?
I can't afford to pay for over the counter medicines
I need this medicine for my child, can I have it on prescription?
I am being treated for a long-term condition, will I still get a prescription?
I have a medical exemption certificate
Does this include the elderly?
I don't pay for my prescriptions. Will I still be able to get over the counter medicines on prescription?
The pharmacy will not sell me a medicine. What should I do?
Is my child's school or nursery allowed to give an over the counter medicine?
I need a larger quantity of over the counter medication but the pharmacy won't sell it to me in the size/strength I need
Can a pharmacist advise me if an over the counter medicine can be taken alongside my prescription medicines?
I can’t easily get to my local pharmacy, what should I do?
What if an over the counter medicine has been started by the hospital?
Are out of hours services and hospitals implementing this policy?
Can I still use the minor ailments/Pharmacy First scheme?
Will the policy be reviewed?
How can I make a complaint about this policy?