Handling prescription enquiries is a big part of the workload at the surgery – keeping a few useful medicines at home or visiting a pharmacy for some conditions means you can treat common minor ailments immediately without needing to speak to a GP or nurse.
Medicine to keep at the home could include
*Painkillers – for pain discomfort and fever
*Indigestion remedies, oral rehydration salts ant treatments for constipation and diarrhoea
*Treatments for seasonal conditions such as cols and hayfever
*Sunblock and Aftersun*Basic First Aid items such as plaster and antiseptic cream
Learn more at nhs.uk/otcmedicines
By reducing the amount it spends on over the counter (OTC) medicines, the NHS can give priority to treatments for people with more serious conditions. such as cancer, diabetes and mental health problems.
The NHS currently spends around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, such as paracetamol.
