Yahoo! News reports that the UK's NHS (National Health Service) is to stop issuing prescriptions for 42 conditions for which over the counter medicines are available. It is estimated that this will save almost £100 million a year.

The conditions are all non-life-threatening. Patients will instead need to go to a pharmacy/chemist and buy medicines. The list of medical conditions for which treatment on the NHS is being withdrawn shown at the end of this post.

There are some problems with the NHS taking this approach, for example:

1. If patients buy their own medicines, some will opt for less effective treatments (e.g. homeopathic and herbal remedies) which often do not cure conditions, which then causes more people to become infected. This is a particular problem here in Germany when children get head lice.
2. If patients do not visit a doctor, an important mechanism for collecting health statistics is lost, If another pandemic strikes, it will then take longer for the UK to notice and react.
3. Some of the conditions listed can be indicators of more serious illnesses. Examples include infrequent diarrhoea and constipation, both of which may be caused by pancreatitis, the treatment of which often entails a hospital stay (as well as life-style changes).
4. Not everyone's insect bites and stings can be treated by over the counter medicine. For example, my partner often has severe allergic reactions to insect bites and stings, urgently requiring prescription strength cortisone, and if not properly treated can be life-threatening.

I think that this change will not only reduce the health and quality of life of the UK population, but also increase the incidence of many conditions, and will probably not save as much money as the NHS estimates (it may end up costing more, in the long run).

• Acute sore throats,
• Cold sores,
• Conjunctivitis,
• Coughs,
• Colds,
• Nasal congestion,
• Cradle cap (seborrhoeic dermatitis),
• Haemorrhoids,
• Infant colic,
• Mild cystitis,
• Mild irritant dermatitis,
• Dandruff,
• Infrequent diarrhoea,
• Constipation,
• Dry or sore eyes,
• Earwax,
• Excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis),
• Head lice,
• Indigestion,
• Heartburn,
• Infrequent migraines,
• Insect bites,
• Insect stings,
• Mild acne,
• Dry skin,
• Sunburn or the need for sun protection,
• Mild to moderate hay fever,
• Seasonal rhinitis,
• Minor burns,
• Scalds,
• Mild pain, discomfort and/fever ( e.g. aches and sprains, headache, period pain, back pain ),
• Mouth ulcers,
• Nappy rash,
• Oral thrush,
• Prevention of dental caries,
• Athletes foot,
• Teething,
• Toothache,
• Ringworm or threadworm,
• Travel sickness,
• Warts,
• Verrucas.