Changes to how the NHS prescribes over the counter medicines for minor health conditions
The national guidance from NHS England was developed to raise public awareness of the need to reduce the financial and workload burden of General Practices prescribing over the counter (OTC) items.
The toolkit displayed and linked below is designed to support GP practices to implement the national guidance for conditions that can be treated over the counter. It contains a variety of information and resources to increase the uptake of self care treatments, enabling improved use of NHS resources.
Following requests from primary care for further support, NHS Lincolnshire ICB have produced a position statement and guidance for prescribers on Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care. Links to these can be found on the last page of the toolkit under ‘useful links & resources’ and here:
Vitamins and Minerals - Why does this matter?
These items represent a significant area of spend and, as per NHSE, should not be prescribed routinely due to limited clinical evidence supporting their effectiveness. They are essential nutrients which most people can and should get from eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet.
Our ICB is 13th highest prescriber nationally and we are almost double the national average.
Practices will be receiving personalised data packs regarding their specific vitamins and minerals prescribing data. Please review if prescribing is still clinically appropriate. The toolkit provides prescribing advice for the most commonly prescribed vitamins and minerals to provide clarity on when they are indicated.
Winter Illnesses GP Practice Toolkit
This toolkit contains seasonal messaging, patient resources and display materials around minor winter illnesses, such as coughs, colds and sore throats.
OTC Medicines Newsletters
These are intended for prescribers to keep up to date with the OTC rollout.