The views of local clinicians and members of the public are being sought by NHS England as part of a consultation around medicines which could be considered low priority for NHS funding.

The NHS in England spends approximately £645 million per year on medicines prescribed in primary care and that are available over the counter.

These include products that:

  • can be purchased over the counter, and sometimes at a lower cost than that which would be incurred by the NHS
  • treat a condition that is considered to be self-limiting and so does not need treatment as it will heal/be cured of its own accord; and/or
  • treat a condition which lends itself to self-care, i.e. that the person suffering does not normally need to seek medical care and/or treatment for the condition

NHS England and NHS Clinical Commissioners joint clinical working group will consider items available for purchase over the counter in the coming months and where appropriate will develop detailed guidance for further consultation.

Dorset residents are encouraged to have their say by filling in the online web-form or emailing england.medicines@nhs.net by the 21 October 2017.