More medicines could be switched from prescription-only medicines (POM) to pharmacy medicines (P), as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has encouraged medicines manufacturers to apply for product reclassification.

Specifically, it has asked for applications regarding medicines that treat short-term sleep issues, allergies, pain, skin problems, digestive disorders, women's health and oral health.

These categories were identified as areas where more over-the-counter (OTC) medicines could be beneficial for patients, the MHRA said.

The conditions and medicine categories were chosen by the ‘Reclassification Alliance’, led by the MHRA and OTC manufacturer representative group PAGB.

The group involves representatives from the government, NHS, clinicians, pharmacists, and industry.

The list was also scrutinised by chief pharmacists, the MHRA said.

It added that moving more medicines from POM to P would give pharmacists the tools they need to support patients in self-care for common conditions, as well as give patients greater access to medicines without the need to visit their GP.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the news. 

RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said enabling POM to P switches 'ensures the public get the treatment they need from community pharmacies', and reduces demand on GPs and A&E.

'Diagnosing and discussing health problems with patients and advising on the benefits and risks of treatment options are integral to the role of the pharmacy team,' she added.

And she said the RPS would 'work closely with the MHRA and manufacturers to provide guidance ensuring what is provided to the public continues to be safe and appropriate for their condition'.

A 2023 report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by PAGB, suggested that switching more medicines from POM to P could save the NHS £1.4bn a year.