PMG is a veteran friendly practice. The veteran friendly GP practice accreditation is a programme run by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and NHS England to recognise and support practices in delivering the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the armed forces. If you are serving in the armed forces or a veteran there are dedicated support services to help you with a variety of problems. You can let us know you are serving/veteran by using the prioryCARE form and choosing the "general enquiries" tile, you can also call up or speak to one of our receptionists. Some useful resources below or see our website.
Over the counter (OTC) medicines
Over the Counter (OTC) Medications
OTC medications are those that can be bought from pharmacies. GP practices are encouraged not to prescribe medications that are available from pharmacies and supermarkets without a prescription.
Remember you don’t need an appointment to see a pharmacist, which makes it quicker and easier to get advice and medicines rather than contacting the surgery. Buying medicines over the counter will also help to free up GP appointments for those who really need them.
Examples include treatments for: hayfever, dry skin, scabies, athletes foot, conjunctivitis and warts etc.
Currently the NHS spends around £136 million a year on prescriptions for medicines which could otherwise have been bought over-the-counter. Buying medicines yourself will help save the NHS money as some products to treat minor, short-term illnesses can be purchased over-the-counter at a lower cost than that which would be incurred by the NHS.
Importantly, the prescription changes will not affect the prescribing of over-the-counter treatments for long-term conditions or more complex conditions, or where minor illnesses are a symptom or side effect of a more serious condition.
Your local pharmacy can also help with treatments for seven common minor illness such as urine infections, sinusitis and shingles. See our Urgent Care page for more details on Pharmacy First.
