Dated: 4-Jun-19
Reminder that medicines for hay fever
and other short term or minor aliments are no longer available on NHS
prescription – East Berkshire
With the warmer
days upon us, people in East Berkshire are being reminded that products
associated with minor conditions and ailments, such as hay fever, are no longer
being prescribed locally on the NHS unless in specific
circumstances.
The change follows
guidance from NHS England last year which recommended that over the counter
(OTC) medicines associated with minor, short-term conditions which can either
get better by themselves, or can be self-treated, should no longer be made
available on NHS prescription.
In line with this guidance, East Berkshire Clinical
Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Quality and Constitutional Standards Committee
approved the change which came into effect locally on 1 September 2018.
Medicines which are no longer routinely prescribed include treatments for coughs, colds, dandruff, hayfever, mild acne, nappy rash, warts and verrucae, ear wax, head lice and mild dry skin, unless:
Click here for a
full list of all products no longer being prescribed.
During June 2016 and June 2017, the NHS spent
approximately £569 million on prescriptions for medicines which could have been
purchased OTC from a pharmacy or other outlets such as supermarkets.
In East Berkshire, GP practices spent over £3.7 million
between April 2017 and March 2018 on prescribing medicines for the following
conditions: hay fever; vitamins; muscle and joint pain; dry skin; dry eyes;
indigestion; paracetamol; and constipation. In some cases, treatments for these
conditions could have been bought from a local pharmacy without a prescription.
Tim Langran, CCG
Lead Prescribing Support Pharmacist, said: “With the hay fever season upon us,
it’s a timely reminder that certain products associated with short term
conditions and minor aliments are no longer routinely prescribed on the NHS.
“I would therefore advise people to ensure they have
suitable medication to hand which can easily be purchased at a pharmacy or
local supermarket.
“Buying over the counter products can in many cases cost
less than it would for the NHS. For example, between April 2017 and March 2018,
hay fever medicines cost the local NHS £89,000 whereas it would have cost £1.50
to buy a 30 day supply over the counter. This is the equivalent of four more
community nurses a year.”
He added:
“Since the change came into effect locally in September 2018, I’m pleased to
report that over a period of four months we reduced our spend on such items by
£154,000 which can now be used for other treatments or procedures that will
bring greater benefit to people locally.”
For more
information about the change and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions,
click here.