PubMed · 1995 · 73 citations · 5 references
PharmacyCommunity PharmacyPharmacy PracticeMedication Safety PolicyPharmaceutical CompliancePharmacy CommunicationAccess To MedicinesEssential MedicinesMedication AccessMedication SafetyPharmacist ResponsibilitiesPharmacoepidemiologyMedical Decision Aid UseOver-the-counter AccessOver-the-counter Drug UseOver-the-counter Medication AccessOver-the-counter Medication UseOver-the-counter MedicationsOver-the-counter Medicine UseOver-the-counter Treatment Use
Many prescription‑only drugs are being reclassified as pharmacy‑only, making them available over the counter; while this shift is seen as safe and empowering for patients, it also raises concerns about overconfidence, drug interactions, adverse reactions, and the potential for self‑treatment when medical care is warranted. The study aims to ensure that general practitioners inquire about patients’ self‑medication practices before making treatment decisions. The authors propose that educating patients and improving communication between general practitioners and community pharmacists will facilitate safer and more effective over‑the‑counter medicine use. The study finds that recommending OTC use carries medicolegal risks and that anticipated NHS savings may be illusory.
Many drugs previously restricted to prescription only status are being reclassified as pharmacy only status and hence are becoming available over the counter to patients. A general practitioner should make enquiries about a patient's self-medication practices before deciding on treatment for the patient. Over-the-counter medicines are considered safe and their increased use indicates that patients are taking greater responsibility for their own health and possibly taking some of the financial burden of drug treatment from the National Health Service. The retention of their restriction to pharmacy only sale provides some additional protection for patients and promotes the role of pharmacists in the care of patients. However, having more drugs available for self-treatment may encourage patients to believe that there is a drug treatment for every ailment. Increasing the range of drugs available over the counter increases the risks of interactions and adverse reactions and of self-treatment being undertaken when medical aid should have been sought. For general practitioners to recommend positively use of over-the-counter preparations may involve some medicolegal risks, and the potential savings to the NHS may prove illusory. Education for patients and better communication between general practitioners and community pharmacists are required to allow easier availability of modern medicines to patients in order to bring the benefits anticipated.
5
Pharmacy beyond the dispensary: general practitioners' views.
John Spencer, C. A. Edwards · BMJ · 1992 · 114 citations · Full text
J K Aronson · BMJ · 1994 · 13 citations