New Coningsby Surgery

Think twice when requesting paracetamol from your GP

South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group currently spend £221,000 each year on all prescribed paracetamol. Across the whole of Lincolnshire the amount is in excess of £1.2m.

Patients are being asked to reconsider whether they need to request paracetamol 500mg tablets on prescription for short-term conditions such as colds, flu, headaches and other aches and pains. Every home should have a medicines cabinet, adequately stocked with low cost generic treatments that can be used for the short-term relief of common conditions. You can find out more here.

Many people are prescribed regular paracetamol up to a maximum of four times daily to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief for long-term conditions such as arthritis. This is entirely appropriate and it is not the intention to prevent those people from continuing to receive prescriptions for paracetamol on the NHS.

Patients in South Lincolnshire are being asked not to expect paracetamol to be prescribed for short-term use for minor conditions.