The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a list of medical conditions and categories, encouraging more reclassification applications to the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Medicines can be reclassified from available by prescription-only to available in a pharmacy or over-the-counter (OTC). If a prescription-only restriction is removed on certain medicines, more patients will be able to access the medicines they need quickly and conveniently without having to visit their GP. This can also give pharmacists the tools to support patients in self-care for common conditions.
The announcement by the DHSC has seen several categories identified as suitable for reclassification, which include:
- short-term sleep aids
- oral health
- pain management
- allergic rhinitis
- skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis
- women’s health conditions, such as heavy periods, menorrhagia, intimate fungal skin infections
This opportunity for OTC manufacturers allows them to widen their portfolios and deliver new products to meet consumers’ needs. With the MHRA encouraging more reclassification submissions across these categories and conditions, consumer confidence in self-care could increase as patients exercise more autonomy and choice with their treatments to quickly relieve their ailments. In a recent survey published by PAGB, 74% of adults in the UK agreed that more medicines should be available OTC1.
Michelle Riddalls OBE, CEO at PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, shared:
“In the past 42 years, since the first medicines reclassification, the UK has come a long way in improving access to medicines and medical devices. The announcement by the DHSC on these new conditions and categories identified for reclassification is a significant step in the right direction to renew our efforts and ambition to remain a world leader in reclassification and self-care.”
“To fully unlock the potential of OTCs, we must evaluate the status quo and identify new opportunities presented by advances in digital technologies and innovative ways of working within pharmacies. Widening access to medicines through reclassification forms a key pillar in the work that we are doing to build a sustainable healthcare service fit for the future and realise the full potential of self-care. It is also in line with the Government’s ambitions to move to community and pharmacy fronted healthcare which empowers patients to treat their self-treatable conditions at home.
