To promote the 'hidden' prescription medicines you can get without a prescription and for free for kids (England only)

[Mehfruittea]

Photo attached, taken from my local pharmacy copy. All you do is go to your chemist and ask to be seen under the minor ailment scheme.

Inspired by the other thread on things that should be free:

Paracetamol, hay fever relief, gaviscon, ibuprofen, Hedrin etc can all be prescribed by a chemist and dispensed. Obviously it's free of charge for kids. So no need to waste a GP appointment!

Yes but if you can afford it then probably best to pay for it over the counter and leave the minor ailments scheme to those who can't afford the basic medicines. Y'know save some of that precious Nhs money.

Yes YABU.

Buy your own paracetemol etc. These items only cost pennies so unless you are on such a tight budget that you can barely afford to feed yourself you should pay for them.

Sorry just realised how confusing my title might be, reported to HQ for them to think of a better one!

www.nhs.uk/news/2015/05May/Pages/Minor-ailment-scheme-doesnt-provide-free-Calpol-for-all.aspx

It isnt a national scheme. Why should these things be free?

YABU

www.nhs.uk/news/2015/05May/Pages/Minor-ailment-scheme-doesnt-provide-free-Calpol-for-all.aspx

They are not prescription only and they are not free. The NHS still has to pay for them, regardless of whether they come from the pharmacy or the GP.
Unless you are on a low income and genuinely can't afford this stuff, buy your own calpol.

X post little

YABVU why do you think the NHS is in crisis?! Buy your own medication for your kids- everything you've listed is cheap enough if you buy the generics rather than branded ones.

But please don't use it if you can afford to buy paracetamol etc. yourself. I have seen this advice circulated before and I can't believe the role of the NHS is to give free over the counter medicines to people with a reasonable income.

It all has to be paid for out of a very limited tax pot. I would be quite happy to pay higher taxes for more universal services but that is not what our electorate currently votes for. So please don't be greedy.

YABVU for all the reasons posted above!

Ffs I'm on benefits but even I can stump up £1 for Galpharm versions of Calpol and Ibuprofen

fucking hell, stop ripping off the rest of us you cheapskate and buy your own calpol. this costs a fortune via prescribing costs. only use if you really cant afford £3 for a bottle of own brand paracetamol, which I know some people cant

agree with others

sorry but these items are very cheap to buy and people will take advantage

nit lotion is expensive though but the nitty gritty and loads of conditioner is a good method

This has made me so cross
YABU

YABVVVU. That is all.

I didn't say abuse it did I? There are so many people going to their doctors for a prescription for minor ailments, this was set up to save money by encouraging people to see the pharmacist instead.

I've used the minor ailments scheme for ovex a few times and hedrin once. Most of the other things are cheap enough to buy.

YABU! Only in dire circumstances should this scheme be used. They're not free, and cost the NHS an absolute fortune

Exactly.

Every time you claim your free medicines and congratulate yourself for being so clever, the rest of us taxpayers, including me, HAVE PAID FOR IT!

But none of those medications need a prescription, why on earth would you visit a doctor if you need paracetamol?!

YABU. The average prescription for paracetamol costs the NHS 20x what it would cost you to buy it from a supermarket.

You can save the NHS even more money by not going to the GP or the pharmacist, bu by just buying the medicines yourself!

I cannot believe that anyone thinks that it i reasonable that they should get all this for free!

what idiot goes to their gp for calpol in the first place, never mind saving money on gp appointments by getting it free at boots, just buy it in tesco ffs

No wonder the NHS is on its arse