Medical Exemption Certificates

Why should the NHS be paying criminally high prices when they are cheap as chips on the shelves?

As you can buy paracetamol for 16p it is silly to cost the NHS £8.40 to have it prescribed. The minor ailment scheme is still available
If you think about it the cost if visiting doctor and the presription charge that 16p paracetamol cost the NHS at least £24

It would not even cross my mind to get paracetamol on a prescription ...

edited to add ... just noticed co-codamol -- you cannot get that over the counter - or can you?

It is better be on a safe side with prescription requirements, be it a lower dosage or strong one. You can't image what kind of **** is sold online without prescriptions in offshore pharmacies based "I do know where". Codeine is a baby version of what can be bought illegally. I was looking for a med for a dad, but honestly speaking did not have courage to get something for consumption on these e pharmacies like they call themselves, despite the excellent pricing. After checking out a bunch of review sites, learned some horrible things about this industry. http://phrmreviews.com/r/bestdrugcorner-com-review-dishonest-company-foul-repute/ Makes me fall back in love with my CVS...even if it is twice as expensive. So, do not complain so much about prescriptions for minor things. Let pharmacists do their job, that's what they are paid for. I prefer it is that way, rather than have Pain Killers available for anyone.

Pharmacists will often do a double take for a prescription like that, and say 'this is available for 16p, not £8.40'.

This happened to my partner. He and the pharmacist did a mutual eye-roll shoulder-shrug that the doc had even bothered to write out the prescription...

But then, neither of us get free prescriptions. I can see people on low incomes or with exemption certificates kicking off at having to pay for anything.

Co-codamol over the counter is available as 8/500 strength only. The serious stuff that dents the pain of say an abscess is 30/500, and is only available on prescription (NHS or Private)

I agree that minor pills should be paid for and not put on prescription.
Though there are many people that do and will still get cheap meds on prescription