40% of GP appointments and 75% of hospital emergency attendances are for minor ailments which could be treated at home with self-care. The practice has joined the local Commissioning group’s campaign to empower patients to treat common conditions and minor ailments in a timely manner by visiting your pharmacist and purchasing over the counter medication rather issuing a prescription.
Self-care for common conditions and minor ailments will also mean that your GP has more time and it will be easier to get an appointment with them when you have a more serious or complex condition.
Changes to prescribing at this Surgery
This surgery has taken the decision not to prescribe these medicines except in exceptional circumstances. This is because they are freely available to buy in pharmacies and supermarkets and most are cheaper to buy off prescription. Please do not be offended if we ask you to buy these medicines over the counter.
- Acne creams
- Antifungal creams/powders
- Antiperspirant
- Bath oils
- Bites and stings treatment
- Calamine lotion Calpol®
- Chloramphenicol eye drops
- Cold sore treatment
- Colic drops
- Cough mixtures
- Decongestants
- Diarrhoea treatment
- Dry skin creams
- Ear wax drops
- Hay fever tablets
- Head lice treatment
- Ibuprofen tablets
- Indigestion remedies
- Laxatives
- Mouthwashes
- Nappy rash creams
- Nurofen® liquid
- Pain gels/creams
- Paracetamol tablets
- Shampoos
- Stop smoking products
- Sun creams
- Teething gels
- Threadworm tablets
- Throat lozenges/sprays
- Toothpaste
- Travel medicines
- Tubigrip® bandages
- Vitamin supplements and tonics
- Wart and verrucae treatments
- Weightloss treatments
It costs the NHS three times more to prescribe these medicines than it does for you to buy them over the counter. This is your NHS – please use it wisely!
More information can be found on the the local ICB website here or by reading the leaflet: Ask your local pharmacist - self care (PDF, 164KB)