What we think of Minor Ailment Schemes

[bobbin]

Tooooo right. I wonder if it will be allowed on the (very) minor ailments schemes? They seem to have lost a lot of ground now that mothers of young coughing children are having to return to the surgeries.........

Let's help the poor GPs cope!

Hello David

What is your opinion of the minor ailments scheme?

[DavidS]

Hello David

What is your opinion of the minor ailments scheme?

There are so many different ones, it seems to me. The local one doesn't have Dimethicone based anti-headlouse treatments on its list, as they haven't been updated since that long ago.

Its OK, but for the paperwork. I get the patients to fill all of that in as soon as the word "ailment" is mentioned (when did you last hear that word in any other context, except perhaps when watching Hercule Poirot), so that even if they aren't covered by the scheme (often, the other day a lady came in after a fall and wanted bandages, believe it or not) we get a fee.

So, great idea in theory, but why they can't give us some coloured prescription pads and a more sensible limited formulary is beyond me.

[imaginegenerous]

Me too

I think they might sell quite a lot of Alli at the larger Boots stores - where customers are used to spending a lot of money........especially on perfume and cosmetics. At smaller pharmacies, particularly those which are essentially a dispensary next to a GPs surgery, I don't think it will sell.

Bobbin

My branch is one of the latter types, right next door to the surgery and although we'd had a few querys last week we hadn't actually sold any and people did seem put off by the price. I've been off since close of business Friday and back in tomorrow morning so I'll be interested to see how things went over the weekend.

[bobbin]

There are so many different ones, it seems to me. The local one doesn't have Dimethicone based anti-headlouse treatments on its list, as they haven't been updated since that long ago.

Its OK, but for the paperwork. I get the patients to fill all of that in as soon as the word "ailment" is mentioned (when did you last hear that word in any other context, except perhaps when watching Hercule Poirot), so that even if they aren't covered by the scheme (often, the other day a lady came in after a fall and wanted bandages, believe it or not) we get a fee.

So, great idea in theory, but why they can't give us some coloured prescription pads and a more sensible limited formulary is beyond me.

I'm not a great fan of the scheme for the exact reasons which you have mentioned. It's the sort of thing which could be good.........but I don't have any confidence in most PCTs ability to make such schemes a success.

[jaymags]

On the MAS we have had problems with another local pharmacy supplying meds without the patient being present,(yes we have proof and a complaint has been lodged)). There are still a lot of people out there who don't know the scheme exists.