The Department of Health is currently planning a consultation for a white paper regarding sales of over the counter medicines at GP surgeries. The website states:
The White Paper proposes reform to current arrangements whereby dispensing doctors may not sell over the counter (OTC) medicines to dispensing patients.
The rationale for this is that patients in some rural communities may have to travel substantial distances to access OTC medicines if there is no convenient alternative, such as a pharmacy, nearby. GPs are prevented through conditions in their NHS contracts which prevent them selling OTC medicines where the sale of such medicines could be seen as generating a profit linked to a course of treatment recommended by the GP. This leads to an anomalous position whereby a local filling station or newsagent can sell a pack of paracetamol but the GP surgery cannot. Relaxing this restriction would provide better services for dispensing patients – particularly in relation to higher strength “P” OTC medicines which cannot be bought through ordinary retail outlets and must be supplied by a pharmacy.
The Department has published, on its website, an initial Impact Assessment prior to full consultation later this summer. This analyses the proposal in more detail. It sets out 4 possible options:
Option 1: No change
Option 2: Permit certain dispensing GPs to sell OTC medicines where there is no convenient alternative
Option 3: Permit all dispensing GPs to sell OTC medicines
Option 4: Permit all GPs to sell OTC medicines
The Department at this stage prefers Option 2 as it meets the policy objectives of improving access to medicines and promoting self care in rural areas.
Option 2 would also make sense for Reeth patients, as it would save time and reduce the carbon footprint associated with driving to town for some medicines.
See www.pcc.nhs.uk/.../briefing_paper_10__market_entry__otcs__dispensing_doctors3.doc for further information.
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I would support option 2 but prefer option 4 as allowing all GPs to sell over the counter medecines is more equitable, eliminates the bureaucracy which would otherwise be required to decide who could and who could not, and avoids the inevitable anomalies which would occur with option 2. I could not get the link to the paper to work but found it using Google.
ReplyDeleteI am fully in support of option 2 which would seem to be what we have always been fortunate enough to benefit from with regard to prescription drugs, but would allow us to buy BP paracetamol for less than 20p a packet rather than trek to Liddle or Tesco.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this site could also inform patients that such (BP?)drugs are chemically the same as branded and advertised painkillers but at a fraction of the price.
Thanks Geoff - the extra cost in the branded medication pays for the all-important shiny box and slick advertising campaign. On the whole, expensive branded products are no better than own-brand medication from a pharmacy or supermarket.
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