OTC Advice Campaign to start this month on Isle of Wight

Written by admin on Friday 17th January 2020

Information and resources have been provided by IOW CCG and Partners for all stakeholders to help support the campaign and promote to the public. Please read on for more information...


Please read the following communication, dated 10th January:

Good Afternoon,

For your information:

As you will already be aware, in December 2018, NHS England published guidance regarding the “over-the-counter” (OTC) medicines that GPs should not routinely prescribe in primary care for minor self-limiting conditions. The NHS England document “Conditions for which over the counter items (OTC) should not routinely be prescribed in primary care” is available at:

Communications

The Medicines Optimisation Team has been working for the last year to raise awareness of this guidance with prescribers as it has the potential to save the IOW healthcare system money that could be better used on providing other medicines and services. We will be distributing information with posters and leaflets to general practices and community pharmacies to promote the campaign. The CCG, with the support of HIOW partnership communications team, will be going out by various media routes to raise public awareness from Monday 13th January 2020.

Guidance for GPs - attached

Additional Pharmacy First Guidance for Pharmacies - attached

  • Pharmacy First Memo - Previous document developed by MOT has been updated to support implementation

OTC Campaign key messages

  • Medications for the treatment of a range of minor, self-limiting (short-term) conditions such as a sore throat, indigestion or fungal infections can be bought directly from a pharmacy or supermarket, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription
  • By going to your pharmacy for health advice, you will get much quicker treatment for your illness and you will also free up appointments for other people with more serious illnesses to be seen by a GP
  • o Buying ‘over the counter’ medication helps free up much needed funding within the health care budget for new interventions which will potentially have a significant impact on the quality of life for island residents e.g. continuous glucose monitors, or new medicines approved by NICE.

We are asking GPs and patients to consider if it is appropriate for the patient to buy the medicine themselves for a minor self-limiting condition (i.e. from a pharmacy) OR to refer to Pharmacy First (the IOW CCG commissioned minor ailments service, which will enable them to obtain the medicine free of charge if they are eligible for free prescriptions).

We are not saying that no OTC medicines may be prescribed, as it may be appropriate for longer-term use and for vulnerable patients.

You are welcome to communicate any of this information to the CPSC website. We have e-mailed the pharmacies via PharmOutcomes and will be posting the posters and information shortly.

Kind Regards

Caroline Allen MRPharmS

Deputy Head of Medicines Optimisation, Isle of Wight CCG.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of Clinical Commissioning Groups

Telephone: 01983 534271

Email: iwccg.mot@nhs.net

Building A, The Apex St Cross Business Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5XW.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of Clinical Commissioning Groups is a formal partnership between Isle of Wight CCG, North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG, North Hampshire, Fareham and Gosport and South Eastern Hampshire CCGs.

IOW Joint Formulary: www.iowformulary.nhs.uk

IOW MOT Website: www.isleofwightccg.nhs.uk/mot.htm

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