Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) does not routinely support the prescribing of medication that is available to buy from local pharmacies of supermarkets for children or adults.

The reasons for this are as follows:

• Patients should keep a small supply of simple treatments in their own medicine cabinet so they are able to manage minor ailments at home.
• Patients have a responsibility to look after themselves and their children where possible and manage self-limiting minor ailments with support from their local pharmacy if needed.
• All these medicines are widely available from supermarkets and pharmacies at reasonable cost.
• Many of these treatments are more expensive when prescribed on the NHS compared to when they are purchased in pharmacies or supermarkets.
• The NHS belongs to everybody and the CCG must ensure that its resources are used in the best possible way for all patients.

Please view the example list of medicines that should now be purchased.