DOCTORS are to stop prescribing products for minor illness and ailments that patients can get themselves by visiting a pharmacy.

The move was approved at a meeting of the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) last week and will come into effect from Thursday (December 1).

It means GP practices will promote greater self-care for patients and will no longer prescribe readily available products like throat sprays, shampoos, cold remedies and skin moisturisers.

“This difficult decision has been reached after a comprehensive review of the cost effectiveness of all areas of GP prescribing,” said Minehead GP and interim chairman of Somerset CCG Dr Ed Ford.

“We accepted the recommendation from the CCG which concluded that continuing to spend over £3 million each year on such products was not a cost effective use of NHS resources.

“We will instead promote greater self-care by patients supported by health advice from all healthcare professionals including community pharmacies.

“We are now letting all GP practices in Somerset know the CCG’s recommendation and we expect they will start to inform patients of the decision and cease to prescribe such products from December 1,” he said.

The list of products ranges from hay fever preparations and travel medicines, to treatments for fungal skin, nail infections and dandruff, and homeopathic remedies.