Hospitals cut over-the-counter drugs prescriptions

Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital will no longer give prescriptions for over-the-counter medicines when patients leave their care.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said people should buy common drugs such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen from pharmacies or shops.

The trust, which runs the sites in Hull and Cottingham, East Yorkshire, said providing non-prescription medication costs the NHS £136m nationally per year.

The new rules will apply in most cases, even if patients qualify for free prescriptions, the trust added.

Antonio Ramirez, deputy chief pharmacist at Humber Health Partnership, said the change would bring the trust into line with Scunthorpe General Hospital, Goole Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.

"Our medication budget has to prioritise patients with the most serious conditions such as cancer or heart conditions," he said.

"If patients do need over-the-counter medications for minor health conditions, we ask that they arrange this for themselves when they leave hospital.

"This already happens when people visit their GPs and are asked to buy their own over-the-counter medication so that will now apply in all of our hospitals."

The trust said that there would be some cases where patients are prescribed over-the-counter medicines when they leave hospital, including those with long-term conditions and more complex minor conditions.

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