Non-Prescription Medicines, Fourth Edition

321 Pages·2010·0.98 MB·English

by  Alan Nathan

Updates
Updatestothisbookwillbepostedonlineevery6 monthsat
www.pharmpress.com/onlineresources.
Updates will include information on new products, including new
POM-to-P reclassifications; discontinuations; and any new and significant
clinical evidence or other clinical information relating to medicines in the
book.
Non-prescription
Medicines
FOURTH EDITION
Alan Nathan
BPharm,BA,FRPharmS
Freelancepharmacywriterandconsultant
London,UK
PublishedbyPharmaceuticalPress
1LambethHighStreet,LondonSE17JN,UK
1559St.PaulAvenue,Gurnee,IL60031,USA.
(cid:1)PharmaceuticalPress2010
isatrademarkofPharmaceuticalPress
PharmaceuticalPressisthepublishingdivisionoftheRoyalPharmaceuticalSocietyof
GreatBritain
Firsteditionpublished1998
Secondedition2002
Thirdedition2006
Fourthedition2010
TypesetbyThomsonDigital,Noida,India
PrintedinGreatBritainbyTJInternational,Padstow,Cornwall
IndexprovidedbyIndexingSpecialists,Hove,EastSussex,UK
ISBN9780853698869
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrieval
system,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthepriorwritten
permissionofthecopyrightholder.
Thepublishermakesnorepresentation,expressorimplied,withregardtothe
accuracyoftheinformationcontainedinthisbookandcannotacceptanylegal
responsibilityorliabilityforanyerrorsoromissionsthatmaybemade.
TherightofAlanNathantobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeen
assertedbyhiminaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct,1988.
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
Dedication
Tomywifeandfamily

Contents
Preface ix
Abouttheauthor xi
1 Acne 1
2 Athlete'sfoot 9
3 Benignprostatichyperplasia 15
4 Cardiovascularmedicines 19
5 Chlamydia(Chlamydiatrachomatisinfection) 25
6 Colds 29
7 Coldsores 37
8 Constipation 43
9 Cornsandcalluses 55
10 Cough 59
11 Cradlecap 71
12 Cystitis 73
13 Dandruffandseborrhoeicdermatitis 77
14 Diarrhoea 85
15 Dryskin 95
16 Earproblems 101
17 Emergencyhormonalcontraception 107
18 Eyeconditions 113
19 Fungalnailinfection(onychomycosis) 123
20 Haemorrhoids 125
21 Hayfever 133
22 Headlice 145
23 Indigestion 151
24 Insectbitesandstings 169
25 Irritablebowelsyndrome 175
26 Irritantandallergicdermatitisandmildeczema 181
27 Migraine 187
28 Motionsickness 193
29 Mouthulcers 199
viii | Contents
30 Nappyrash 205
31 Obesitymanagement 209
32 Oralthrush 213
33 Pain 215
34 Patternbaldness 235
35 Premenstrualsyndrome 239
36 Scabies 243
37 Smokingcessationproducts 249
38 Sorethroat 261
39 Temporarysleepdisturbance 265
40 Threadwormandroundworm 271
41 Vaginalcandidiasis 277
42 Vaginitisandvaginaldryness 283
43 Verrucas 285
44 Warts 291
Index 293
Preface
The first reclassification of a medicine from Prescription-only (POM) to
Pharmacy sale (P) status was in 1983. Since then there has been a steady
streamofPOM-to-Ptransfers,andmorethan80medicinesarenowavailable
overthecounter(OTC)thatpreviouslycouldbeobtainedonlybyavisittoa
doctor.Thegovernmenthasreaffirmeditscommitmenttomakingmedicines
moreaccessibletothepublicandhaspledgedtocontinueandincreasetherate
ofPOM-to-Preclassifications and,whereappropriate,tofurtherderegulate
medicinestoGeneralSaleList(GSL)statustomakethemevenmorewidely
available.
Pharmacists have traditionally had a major role in the management of
minorillness,whichPOM-to-Phasincreased.Thisrolewillincreasefurther
as more medicines for preventing and treating more serious conditions are
madeavailablewithoutprescription.
Theusefulnessofnon-prescriptionmedicinesandtheimportantrolethey
play in self-care have tended to be underestimated, and the information
available about them, including in the main reference sources for medical
professionals,issparse.ThisbookistheonlypublicationintheUKthatdeals
withnon-prescriptionmedicinescomprehensivelyandindepth.Itsaimisto
help pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to make well-informed
recommendationsandtogivetheirpatientssoundadviceonnon-prescription
medicines.
Inthisbook,OTCmedicinescurrentlyavailableintheUKarereviewedin
alphabeticallyarrangedchaptersontheconditionsforwhichtheyarelicensed
to treat. This book will also be of value to pharmacists and other health
professionals in the Republic of Ireland, because most of the proprietary
brandedmedicinesavailableintheUKarealsoavailableunderthesamename
inIreland.Also,patientsfromtheUK,includingfromNorthernIreland,often
askforUKproducts,andtheseproductsarefamiliarastransnationaladver-
tising raises awareness. The classification of non-prescription medicines in
IrelandisgenerallysimilartothatitintheUK,butduetolicensingrestrictions
some medicinesthat areavailablewithout prescriptionintheUK arenotin
Ireland.