Typically, your general practitioner, nurse, or pharmacist will not provide prescriptions for over-the-counter medications addressing various minor health issues. Instead, these medications can be purchased directly at local pharmacies or supermarkets.
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. By reducing the amount the
NHS spends on over the counter medicines, we can give priority to
treatments for people with more serious conditions, such as cancer,
diabetes and mental health problems.
