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!

I think op was more trying to point out that you don't necessarily need to see a gp and that a pharmacist can prescribe rather than we should all run out to get free calpol....I hope that's what you meant anyway op

Most of the items are very low cost. Every time someone claims free on NHS someone else ie every tax payer has to pay for it. If the system is seen to be being abused, it will end up being shut done. Then the people who will suffer are those for whom the scheme was meant for in the first place. Don't do it.

maybe op could instead remind people that many items are on sale in pharmacies and gp appointments are therefore not necessary if you need,for example, a hayfever tablet

So unreasonable

Ahh this again. It's not for everybody. It's not in every pharmacy. It's not a branded medication (ie you'd get a generic paracetamol suspension instead of Calpol).

I work in a pharmacy that doesn't offer this (most in the country don't) and it's really not nice to have parents yelling at ME because THEY didn't do their research.

You need to be in receipt of certain benefits to get medication from the scheme.

Again, it's not in every pharmacy so look online before going to your local one incase they don't offer it.

is op actually working for the tories, trying to convince us all that people are flocking for free calpol at taxpayers expense?
cunning!

I see the point about not bothering a GP when you can see a pharmacist. But I agree with the PPs - a lot of those things you could equally just buy.

Another way of lightening GPs' load: Some things that are prescription only you can get via an online prescription service e.g. I know Lloyd's pharmacy website does it. I get my asthma medication and prescription antihistamines that way, saves bothering my GP for a very well controlled condition.

this has really fucked me off

where the fuck do you think that stuff comes from? It is PAID FOR. By the NHS which is fucking dying on its arse partly cos tight gits like you think you're entitled to free paracetamol

GP here. Youll be amazed at what people ask for on prescription - suncream, deodorant, thrush creams, multivitamins (just because they want them not because of deficiency), and an awful lot of people ask for hayfever meds to be prescribed.

Intransige, we still have to electronically sign your prescriptions for an online service.

If you can afford it, buy it. Can see the benefit for those who can't afford it, but it's being abused.
We have this is Scotland too.

Buy your own bloody paracetamol!

People go to the gp to get these things on prescription because they can't afford to buy something.

Wtf would they waste time at a gp appt if they had the quid to buy it themselves. This was seen as a cost saving measure to avoid the wasted gp appointments. So no, the op is not unreasonable.

YABU

people should pay for OTC medications, thinks like paracetamol are pennies

Yes people should speak to pharmacists about minor ailments but they should also expect to pay for the treatments.

Yabu. Every single prescription attracts a fee for the NHS in addition to the cost of the calpol.
It is not a national scheme and in my area I can't even get emollient and soap substitutes for my skin condition. I have to pay for these on top of my prepayment certificates.

I don't know a single person who doesn't just buy paracetamol they can have tablets from age 6 so it's literally pennies. And generic brands are far cheaper than things like calpol.

There's surely no way you can rock up and just get this stuff it just be mainly used by people who really need it surely?

Dipsy is there prescription only medicine for hay fever? Dd gets this because she couldn't control it otc.

Pickley - that's exactly what I meant. I came across it last year when my chemist lost my sons prescription. (I didn't take him trying to get paracetamol or something obvious, it was for something else entirely but the GP said try Dioralyte. Didn't know to buy it or that's what he would suggest sobpls don't flame me) The chemist lost the prescription but told me I could get it via that scheme, I had to sign a different form. I took a snapshot of the list so I could look at later.

I know prescriptions cost the NHS, my point was the are free (at point of receipt) to children. So many parents waste GP time because the don't have a spare £1 for own brand calpol. So many others don't think they should have to pay for something they know they can get for free when their own budget is really tight.

I was just trying to help those who need this service, not bothered about those who think nothing of paying a few quid for calpol when needed. Kids are waiting for GP appointments rather than getting the treatment they need when needed.

Was the OP saying it was for free? I thought she was reminding people not to take up GP appointments and saying that kids' stuff can be free.

If it was in fact about "free stuff", can the pharmacist prescribe a cure for stupid, please?

Who goes to the gp for half this stuff anyway.
A little common sense and google tells you how to treat a fever.

My husband took ds to a out of hour doc a few weeks and came back with antibiotics and a huge bottle of calpol/paracetamol. He doesn't normally do the doctors with kids so didn't say we didn't need it. Never used it as the kids prefer the dissolvable calpol things. Waste of nhs money!

another GP here...so many people ask for paracetemol, calpol, tubigrip bandage, deodorant, moisturiser etc etc....and i get loads of abuse for saying no....

i would never let a child go without calpol if it is poorly if i think the parents really cannot buy it, but it infuriates me when i see parents with iphones and pkts of cigarrettes say they can't afford paracetemol for their poorly children...

We also have this type of service in Scotland.

www.gov.scot/Publications/2006/06/26102829/1

In theory you can get prescription only treatments without needing to visit a GP which will save the NHS money as you are not taking an appointment slot with the Dr just to gain access to medication. The pharmacist can supply medications and it's great for parents who are genuinely struggling to afford particular treatments or medications for their children.

I have used it once when I was really skint and DD needed antihistamine and cream for an allergy rash and I genuinely didn't have the £15 it would have cost me to buy the stuff. In general I usually just buy things like calpol and creams myself but it was a really handy service to have when I needed it (and I didn't need to waste the Drs time to go and get a prescription)

A reminder that you are not getting a better drug if you buy Calpol or Nurofen. Look for the active ingredient and buy the cheapest 'generic' version available. If the pharmacist offers you Calpol, ask for the generic version, i.e. child's paracetamol. It's exactly the same.

Calpol = paracetamol
Calprofen / Nurofen = ibuprofen
Most antihistamines are also available generically.
Many eczema creams also available generically. E45 is produced as a Boots own brand, and even some of the more expensive eczema creams have cheaper versions.

They will cost much much less, i.e. 100ml of Asda child paracetamol is £1.75, vs £3.50+ for 100ml Calpol.

Since when did you need a Gp appointment for hay fever or shirt term indigestion. Buy your own otc medications.