The NHS in NW London CCGs: Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster spent over £13 million in 2016 on products that can be bought without a prescription at community pharmacies.

The NHS is under pressure. Our budgets are not large enough to pay for all the treatments the public would like us to provide. We would therefore like to spend less on medicines you can buy without a prescription so as to free up funds for other valuable NHS services.

Since the introduction of Prescribing Wisely £100, 000 per month have been saved.

Practices across North West London are being asked to stop routinely prescribing medicines which are available to buy over the counter in pharmacies (and, in the case of some medicines, in supermarkets and other shops too). If a medicine you need can be bought without a prescription your GP will ask you to buy it. There is a list of conditions and National Guidance on this.

Any patients wishing to complain or comment on the implementation of this national guidance can contact nwlccgs.communications.nwl@nhs.net or call 020 3350 4366

More details can be found here

Here is a list of commonly prescribed medicines which are available without a prescription