Royal Pharmaceutical Society responds to over the counter medication report

Jun 14 2005

Responding to the British Medical Association's (BMA) report, Over the counter medication, David Pruce, Director of Practice and Quality Improvement, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, said:

"The RPSGB welcomes the BMA's report and the focus on two-way communication between patients and health professionals. Pharmacists are providing increasing services to patients, including supplementary prescribing, and more medicines are being reclassified from prescription only medicine (POM) to pharmacy medicine (P) status.

"Patients should be encouraged to tell their pharmacist what symptoms they have, how long they have had them, any other medications they may be taking and any other conditions they may have to ensure that they can get the best advice on the safe and effective use of their medicines.

"Pharmacists have a key role to play in patients' self-management of medical conditions and long-term self-treatment and offer advice on a range of health issues and over the counter medicines. Patients should ask their pharmacist if they have any queries or questions about their medicines."