Minor Ailments Scheme

Essexdoll

I have been told about this scheme through various friends on facebook, however I could not find a local pharmacy which did it. When I see Martin Lewis' post I thought I would look through the link further and find another parmacy near by which happened to be Boots in Braintree Essex, their site said that their services included the Minor Ailments Scheme, I therefore thought I would sign up for is as I have 3 young children and I'm exempt from prescriptions as I have cancer.
The staff I must say were very rude and condesending to me saying "oh - read about it on facebook did you?" and when I replied, well actually yes but also on Martin Lewis' website and your website which was through a link from the NHS website, they made a big thing about it saying they didn't do it there and hadn't done for many years.
I said, very politely I might add, that maybe they needed to contact their head office as it does say its a service they provide on their website, she very condescendingly said I wish we did do it then we wouldn't have people coming in and having a go at us!
She made me feel very stupid and embarrassed for asking!

asajj

Very strange! I'd complain to head office!

donnac2558

We have the scheme in Northern Ireland and all local chemists take part. The is always a small poster up explaining what is available and what is not. They no longer cover colds and sore throats, but cystitis is.

HappyMJ

Essexdoll wrote: »

I have been told about this scheme through various friends on facebook, however I could not find a local pharmacy which did it. When I see Martin Lewis' post I thought I would look through the link further and find another parmacy near by which happened to be Boots in Braintree Essex, their site said that their services included the Minor Ailments Scheme, I therefore thought I would sign up for is as I have 3 young children and I'm exempt from prescriptions as I have cancer.
The staff I must say were very rude and condesending to me saying "oh - read about it on facebook did you?" and when I replied, well actually yes but also on Martin Lewis' website and your website which was through a link from the NHS website, they made a big thing about it saying they didn't do it there and hadn't done for many years.
I said, very politely I might add, that maybe they needed to contact their head office as it does say its a service they provide on their website, she very condescendingly said I wish we did do it then we wouldn't have people coming in and having a go at us!
She made me feel very stupid and embarrassed for asking!

Children are also exempt from prescription charges. You and anybody else can always go to your GP and ask your GP to write out a prescription for the items you need/want. You can get a prescription for Paracetamol if you take that and save yourself from buying it over-the-counter at 32 pence. One bonus with getting it on prescription is the GP will give you a script for 100 tabs. The Minor Ailments Scheme is supposed to help you skip that step to prevent effectively wasting the GP's time so thy can get onto the job of looking after patients with much more serious ailments. So next time you're at the GP ask for your items.

bylromarha

My nearest chemist offering the minor ailments scheme is 25 miles away. They stopped doing it in my town as the NHS couldn't afford giving out all the medicines.

It's another one of those things where the few spoilt it for the many in my area.

roddydogs

Getting a prescription for Paracetamol? its cheap as chips, no wonder the NHS is broke.

missbiggles1

HappyMJ wrote: »

Children are also exempt from prescription charges. You and anybody else can always go to your GP and ask your GP to write out a prescription for the items you need/want. You can get a prescription for Paracetamol if you take that and save yourself from buying it over-the-counter at 32 pence. One bonus with getting it on prescription is the GP will give you a script for 100 tabs. The Minor Ailments Scheme is supposed to help you skip that step to prevent effectively wasting the GP's time so thy can get onto the job of looking after patients with much more serious ailments. So next time you're at the GP ask for your items.

With advice like this, no wonder you have to wait so long for an appointment! The sooner such items can only be bought over the counter, the better.

HappyMJ

It's amazing what you can get on prescription. Toothpaste if you need it... Going on a holiday in the sun what about sunscreen...you wouldn't want to get sunburnt. People were taking too much advantage but most people are sensible and won't waste a GP visit getting a prescription for stuff which is very cheap anyway.

barbiedoll

Some items on prescription do seem wasteful if you don't understand why they're issued.

The suncreams mentioned, are not for folk to enjoy their holiday in the sun without burning, they are given to people with serious skin conditions, or who are on long-term medication which makes their skin much more sensitive to sunlight.

The prescription toothpastes are for people with tooth and gum problems, they aren't given to anyone who asks.

The Minor Ailments scheme was indeed set up to deter people from cluttering up the GP surgeries with minor aliments that could be diagnosed by a pharmacist. People who were exempt from prescription charges were given the opportunity to get medicines via the pharmacy, without having to wait for a prescription. It wasn't intended for parents who wanted to stock up on Calpol, Vicks and Infacol without having to put their hand in their pocket, it was intended for low-income patients who didn't actually need to see a doctor.

Still, the pharmacy staff shouldn't have been rude to OP but in their defence, they have probably spent the past two weeks fending off parents demanding their freebies!