Skip Navigation


British Medical Bulletin Advance Access originally published online on May 3, 2009
British Medical Bulletin 2009 90(1):63-69; doi:10.1093/bmb/ldp015
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
90/1/63    most recent
ldp015v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BMB
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Aronson, J. K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Aronson, J. K.
Related Collections
Right arrow Psychiatry
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

From prescription-only to over-the-counter medicines (‘PoM to P’): time for an intermediate category

Jeffrey K. Aronson*

Department of Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Rosemary Rue Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK

* Correspondence to: J. K. Aronson, Department of Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Rosemary Rue Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK. E-mail: jeffrey.aronson{at}clinpharm.ox.ac.uk

Background: Increasing numbers of medicines are being made available over the counter in the UK, by purchase in a pharmacy or from other less well-regulated outlets. When this is allowed by the Licensing Authority, it is often subject to certain restrictions. However, some drugs that could usefully be converted from prescription-only medicines (PoM status) to over-the-counter sales in a pharmacy (P status) are not suitable for full over-the-counter status, even with restrictions; and in some cases restrictions vitiate the usefulness of the medicine.

Areas of agreement: Drugs that can acceptably be switched from PoM status to P status include those that are used in the treatment of minor ailments or injuries, for health promotion or in palliative care.

Areas of controversy: However, not all drugs that are being switched fall into these categories. Ready availability of antimicrobial drugs over the counter, one of which (azithromycin) has recently been switched, could encourage the emergence of resistant organisms. Drugs that are used for long-term treatment and lifestyle drugs are also controversial, particularly if their adverse effects are of potential concern. On the other hand, the availability of many drugs via the internet removes the ability of regulators to control the supply of such drugs.

A possible solution: A new category of purchase, Pharmacist Consultation and Supply, with built-in safeguards, could improve the availability of some medicines under more careful control than is currently available for over-the-counter medicines.

Keywords: prescription-only medicines • pharmacy-only medicines • over-the-counter medicines • sildenafil • Viagra • simvastatin

Accepted for publication April 8, 2009.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?

Related articles in BMB:

Editor's Choice
Norman Vetter
BMB 2009 90: 1-5. [Extract] [Full Text]  





Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.