The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7176 p767-773
1 December 2001

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More patients get free medicines from pharmacies over the counter

A scheme to allow patients who do not pay prescription charges to get free treatment for minor conditions from pharmacies without troubling a general practitioner for a prescription has been extended in Merseyside.

From 1 December, the "Care at the chemist" scheme (PJ, 31 March, p425) is available to all patients cared for under Bootle and Litherland Primary Care Trust. All pharmacies in the trust will offer the service, plus six pharmacies in a neighbouring primary care group which regularly see patients from the trust's area.

Alan Cummings, community pharmacy adviser to Sefton Health Authority, who manages the scheme, said that patients can now walk into pharmacies and get free treatment for a wide range of conditions without being referred by their GPs.

The pilot scheme covered a limited number of conditions and treatments. The extended scheme means that patients can now get treatment for such ailments as thrush, cystitis, threadworms, itchy skin and eczema. Treatments are currently restricted to over-the-counter indications of the medicines available under the scheme, but patient group directions are to be developed to widen the available therapy. This is expected to bring chloramphenicol eye-drops and eye ointment for bacterial conjunctivitis within the scheme.

Pharmacies are paid monthly banded fees, depending on the annualised number of items they dispense. The base fee is £500 for up to 400 items a year, rising by £500 for every additional 300 items.

Mr Cummings says that the scheme has attracted wide interest from around the country and positive comments from the Department of Health, which would like to see it developed and taken further.

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