Prescribing

Changes to prescribing

Following national NHS England guidance, we no longer routinely prescribe some over-the-counter and low-priority items.

The NHS is under increasing financial pressure and we must make sure our resources are used on treatments proven to be effective. Following national guidance from NHS England, the practice no longer routinely prescribes certain medicines and products that can be bought over the counter from pharmacies and supermarkets, or that have limited evidence of clinical benefit and are considered low priority for NHS funding.

This means some items may be removed from your repeat prescription list, and your clinician will not normally issue new prescriptions for them. These products remain available to buy if you wish to continue using them.

Many treatments for minor illnesses can be bought directly from your local pharmacy, supermarket or online, and your pharmacist can also advise on self-care and treatment options.

treatments for minor, short-term conditions such as cold remedies, paracetamol, hay fever tablets and head lice treatments
vitamins and minerals where there is no diagnosed deficiency
items identified by NHS England as offering limited clinical benefit