The Minor Ailments Scheme pays for treatment of everyday conditions at the pharmacy, for people who would otherwise be paying over the counter for something a GP would have prescribed free.
Eligibility follows NHS prescription exemption — children, over 60s, people on qualifying benefits, holders of a maternity or medical exemption certificate, and a few other groups. If your prescriptions are free, treatment under the scheme is almost certainly free too.
A defined list of common conditions: hay fever, threadworm, head lice, athlete's foot, thrush, constipation, indigestion, dry eyes, mouth ulcers, teething, nappy rash and more. Not everything, and not anything needing a prescription-only medicine outside the scheme.
You answer a short set of questions so the pharmacist can check the scheme fits your problem, and check nothing about your symptoms needs a GP instead. Then you are supplied the treatment. There is a limit on how often you can use it for the same condition, which is there to catch problems that are not settling.
You can still be assessed, and buy the treatment. Often the pharmacy price is less than a prescription charge anyway, so ask before assuming.
The scheme runs at our branches across Sandwell. Walk in — no appointment, and no need to ring first.
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