TY - JOUR T1 - Expecting patients to buy medicines OTC: is it fair? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 180 LP - 180 DO - 10.3399/bjgp20X709061 VL - 70 IS - 693 AU - Lara Shemtob Y1 - 2020/04/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/70/693/180.abstract N2 - In March 2018, NHS England published guidance for care commissioning groups listing conditions for which over-the-counter (OTC) items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care.1 Published alongside this guidance was the underpinning report from the OTC public consultation.2 GPs are at the endpoint of this work, informing patients that they will have to purchase some of their medications.An obvious concern is the potential financial and health consequences for the most vulnerable of the cohort of patients entitled to free prescriptions. How far did the research that underpins this guidance explore and dispel these concerns?As well as consulting on the three target areas of proposed reduction in prescribing, the report from the OTC public consultation surveyed different perspectives regarding the impact of the proposals on equality and health inequalities. Of almost 2600 survey responders, 37% agreed that groups protected … ER -