UK. Wider access to medicines to allow patients to manage their own health care

Citation

(2002), "UK. Wider access to medicines to allow patients to manage their own health care", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215eab.005

UK. Wider access to medicines to allow patients to manage their own health care

UK

Wider access to medicines to allow patients to manage their own health care

In May, Lord Philip Hunt announced further measures to expand patient choice in the NHS by launching a new strategy to provide wider availability of medicines. Changes to the law allow for medicines to be considered for wider availability (over the counter rather than on prescription only) by means of a streamlined process that retains essential safeguards but which dispenses with the need to amend legislation each time the legal status of a medicine is changed. The system it replaces was tied into amending legislation twice a year, on fixed time-tables. The new system, designed by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), will more than halve the time taken for medicines currently available only on prescription, to be switched to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. It also marks a major step in the Government's commitment to expand the range of medicines available for self-medication through pharmacies.

Launching the new process, Lord Hunt said: "today marks an important step in delivering a key NHS plan challenge of making more medicines more widely available and is another example of the Government's commitment to build a patient focused NHS. The UK already leads the way in Europe on the availability of medicines and these changes launched today will build on widening patient choice and providing an opportunity for patients to play a more active role in their healthcare."

He said that the NHS plan set out a radical action plan to put patients and people at the heart of the health service and to drive every decision made about the organisation and delivery of care. Making a wider range of OTC medicines available where it is safe to do so would give people faster access to the treatments they need. In halving the time taken for pharmaceutical companies to reclassify their products, the streamlined process will help to deliver wider access to medicines, giving patients greater control of their treatment. It will also lead to more efficient use of resources by freeing up GP time and enable pharmacists to use their expertise to help more patients manage minor ailments and chronic conditions.

Lord Hunt added: "many patients, especially those with chronic conditions, don't want to spend any more time than is necessary visiting their GPs and many are experts in their own conditions. Enabling patients to make a choice of how they access such medicines empowers patients to help them manage their own care, with the help of skilled healthcare staff."

Since the NHS plan was published in 2000 the MCA has worked on a range of options to enable wider availability of medicines over the counter, in conjunction with key stakeholders including industry professional bodies and patient groups (Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance – LMCA). The new reclassification process is part of a long-term strategy of initiatives to bring about a greater availability of medicines.

In the last ten years some 50 substances have been removed from prescription only status and made more accessible. Under the new process it is hoped that the number of changes will double.

Patient safety is a key element of the new process, and before any medicine is made more widely available it will be assessed against strict criteria relating to its safety in use.

Sheila Kelly, Executive Director of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB) said: "PAGB welcomes the new measures announced today by the Minister. We hope they will encourage more medicines to become available over the counter and that the new working party will help to drive forward and accelerate this development."

Marshall Davies, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) commented: "the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain strongly supports the principle of increasing the number of medicines available over the counter to patients, where it is safe to do so. This is not only in the public interest but also makes greater use of pharmacists' expertise to help patients manage minor ailments and chronic conditions."