Page last updated: 25-SEP-2007

Prescribing


Statistical Publication Notice

25 September 2007

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The Minor Ailment Service  


INTRODUCTION

Minor Ailment Service (MAS) is a service provided by community pharmacy for the treatment of minor ailments.  It has been available across Scotland since July 2006 for patients exempt from prescription charges. Patients have to register with a pharmacy to receive the service.  Pharmacists can then advice, counsel and/or treat the patient for the minor ailment or refer the patient to another healthcare professional.

KEY POINTS

  • Almost all Scottish community pharmacies provided the service.
  • At June 2007, over 817,000 people were registered for the service.
  • Paracetamol was the most frequently supplied item in the first 9 months of the service.

DETAILED FINDINGS

The report provides the definition of MAS and clarifies who is eligible for it.  To receive the service, patients register with a pharmacy of their choice.  Registrations increased monthly from July 2006 to more than 817,000 by June 2007.  Registration levels are shown by NHS Board, with NHS Ayrshire & Arran having the greatest proportion of registrations, influenced by the fact that they were part of the pilot.  Next highest registration level was for NHS Tayside, the other pilot site.  Items supplied in the first 9 months of the service are shown, together with the Top 10 most commonly prescribed items.  

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Margaret Conway
Principal Information Analyst 
0141 282 2265
Healthcare Information Group (Prescribing)
Margaret.Conway@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Sharon Kennedy
Information Analyst
0141 282 2318
Healthcare Information Group (Prescribing)
sharon.kennedy@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Iain Bishop
Principal Pharmacist (Prescribing)
0131 275 6509
Healthcare Information Group
iain.bishop@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk
 
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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

The Scottish Executive
Chief Executives of each NHS Board
Community Pharmacy Scotland

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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published:  Never been published before
Next Due:  December 2007
Data Available since:  n/a


Main contact: Email Margaret Conway