Medication and pharmacy

       Medicines fall into three different categories: general sale or over-the-counter, pharmacy only and prescription only. Sometimes these categories change over time, or a medicine may change status.

Over-the-counter

      Common treatments for minor complaints which are not serious enough to seek the advice of a pharmacist are known as over-the-counter or being on the 'general sales list. These can be bought without a problem in shops or drug store etc. These include painkillers, such as paracetamol or aspirin, cold remedies and constipation relief products. Just because these medicines are widely available doesn’t generally mean they are less strong than prescribed treatments, and there's still a possible danger of overdose or side effects.

Pharmacy medicine

      These are medicines which don't need a prescription and can be bought from a pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist. They are not out on the main shop shelves, but kept behind the counter to ensure they are only sold by a pharmacist or another member who will have checked they are appropriate for the condition and age of the person.

Prescription-only medicines

       These medicines can only be prescribed by a doctor, dentist or other qualified medical professional. Appropriately trained physiotherapists and podiatrists can prescribe medicines such as pain relief to their patients. The prescription is taken to the pharmacy. Examples of prescription-only medicines include antibiotics and blood pressure medications.