How ridiculous
Off over there this coming weekend to visit brother so he ask me to bring him some over the counter medication. Went into 3 chemists, had a third degree each time and could only purchase 1 pack in each. This afternoon went into Wilco and spotted medication on shelf, picked up 3 packs, went through check out, no problems or interrogation at all. It makes a nonsense of the policy
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Much the same as back home - you want a particular medicine (because it works) but in UK they say NO!
Whereas in Europe is can be sold OTC.
No wonder the NHS doesn't know whether it is coming or going.
We are part of the EU (well for a few more months at least) and I would have thought that what was good for them was good for us as well.
When will common sense prevail?
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The restrictions are in place for a reason, as annoying as it sometimes is. Pharmacists are also allowed to make a few checks to make sure the medication is suitable for your needs. If you want to side step the questions you can go to a supermarket but will be restricted on how many you can buy.
Redface I think Oneputt is buying these to take abroad so where ever his brother is these medications are not so readily available?
David
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My point was that a chemist shop limited me to 1 pack but in the supermarket I could buy multiple packs. I went into one chemist twice within 5 minutes and served by the same assistant who ask exactly the same questions. Incidentally my answers given to the questions ask were accepted without question, so pretty cursory really.
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If it's any use I found this about the sales of medicines etc. It obviously varies between shops and pharmacies as to the amount and type you can buy.
I was in Superdrug this week and paracetamol was restricted to two packs of sixteen. Whether that would change if I asked the Superdrug pharmacist I don't know but this was a check out purchase. Personally I accept the legal reasons in place for these purchases.
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I have no problem with the quantity issues of over the counter meds but find it funny you can call at every supplier and buy the maximum allowed so it isn't foolproof! I like the hardiness of supermarket/corner shop/stores stocking meds but because of Thyroxine prefer to chat to a pharmacist about mixing, I rarely take anything pills even herbal ones such as St John's Wort can effect prescription meds. Just cos they're natural doesn't make them risk free!
What's more amazing is the Drs prescribe paracetamol by the hundred to the elderly. My mother has a vast stock - it's free you know 😤😤! Similarly my depressed aunt had a half shopping trolleys worth of meds mostly paracetamol to return to the pharmacy after her husband's death 😲😲😲. She had thought about using them but they were passed their expiry date 😂.
Oneputt have a good catch up with your brother
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That's great for those that can afford over the counter meds, paracetamol are very cheap in tablet form 😉 but I fear for those living on a knife edge - referred to as JAM's especially if they've little ones and need several meds for several children. Hopefully there will be exceptions if needed.
I collected my repeat from our neighbourhood chemist and noticed a big sign saying not all benefits attract free prescriptions. It listed those that do and made it clear there could be a £100 'fine' if you wrongly claim free prescriptions.
Maybe with technology it will be less easy to 'play the system?
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I think one of the reasons why analgesics, such as paracetamol and Ibuprofen, aren’t given on prescription is that the cost is greater than buying it over the counter. If you have surgery in hospital you’ll be told to buy your post operative analgesia in advance from your local supermarket or pharmacy. If you explain to the pharmacist why you need it, they’ll usually let you have in excess of the normal amount with a bigger pack size. Paracetamol pack sizes are restricted because of the toxic effect on the liver. In the past people have overdosed on Paracetamol, either deliberately, or accidentally, and have developed serious liver disease as a result.
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In the last couple of years I have, at times, had to take both Paracetamol and Ibuprofen on a daily basis, with the agreement of my doctor I should add. Now I could have asked for a prescription but that doesn't sit very comfortably with me as the tablets to buy are as cheap as chips. In order to get sufficient I have often had to go to separate places to buy the maximum amount of both. With a bit of planning that is not to difficult or massively inconvenient. I do wonder if there should be a half way house if the NHS is not going to allow prescriptions couldn't doctors issue you will an authorisation note to buy bigger quantities if you are a regular user?
David
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When I tried to buy 4 packs and the cashier at the counter refused to allow me more than 2 I gave the lady behind me in the queue the money and asked her to purchase the other two packs for me. The cashier was rather perplexed at my action, but there was little that she could do about it.
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I was really commenting on the way the NHS no longer prescribe such as paracetamol and whether a chit could be issued by the doctor. If you can buy more by discussing with the pharmacist all well and good but I tend to buy mine at supermarkets as they are usually much cheaper.
David
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You can still buy the cheap generic Paracetamol, and other such medications. You just ask for them at the pharmacy counter. In our local Sainsbury’s, for example, the pharmacy is run by Lloyd’s. In some cases the medication is even cheaper than getting it from the supermarket shelf. I’m a fairly frequent user of loperamide (for reasons we won’t go into here). I usually buy packs of 6 capsules for £3+ from the supermarket shelf. Recently there hasn’t been any in stock for several weeks, so I asked at the pharmacy counter and got the same medication and pack size (different generic brand) for half the price-£1.45, I think it was. I also discovered Boots do their own brand of dispersible loperamide for half the price of Imodium Instants (essential if you need then when out and about). Always worth asking, and definitely not worth paying for brand names.
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General tablet size is different abroad. In Spain, paracetamol is in 500mg tablets.
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I wonder if EasyT was referring to Ibuprofen rather than Paracetamol?
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Antibiotics can/could be bought over the counter in some European countries. Note not in the EU ones now, mind! That is a disaster waiting to happen for us all and future generations.
Read a newspaper article recently about folk in uk aggressively pestering their GPs for antibiotic prescriptions where not applicable.
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We've done this for someone in front of us in a queue. It confused the person as he was Polish and couldn't understand the situation, so I bought them out of my own money and gave them to him as a gift. The rules are apparently different in Poland.
MIL could have these free on Prescription but she says that would cost the NHS money, god bless her, so when she needs some she buys them from supermarkets.
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I'm really confused here, I have both Sainburys and Wilko paracetamol tablets and they are both 500mg?
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I think the confusion is between Ibuprofen (200mg) and Paracetamol (500mg) which are the standard dose tablets in the UK.
David
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Whilst I understand the principal behind the restrictive sale it does make it a bit of a farce when you can wonder down any high street, call in at 5 or 6 different shops and buy a huge stock of these products, often without any questions at all.
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I've done even easier than that, if there are two of us and I have four packets I just pass two of them to Mrs C and she pay separately as the next in the queue. Even done it with three people and six packets.
But even more ridiculous is that once I was stocking up the van and was but two Paracetamol packets and imodium tablets (Mrs C's cooking
) and was told that I couldn't and two packets was the limit? I can see the 'logic' in two types of pain relief but Paracetamol and imodium?0 -
You can buy over the counter antibiotics in Spain (which last time I checked was an EU country).
In France pain killers such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol are very very expensive (like ten to twenty times the cost) compared to the price we pay in the UK - and they will still only allow you a restricted amount.
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