Doctors are increasingly defying NHS rules and prescribing over-the-counter products such as baby formula, shampoo, toothpaste and multivitamins to patients struggling to get essentials.
Prescriptions issued by GPs in England for these everyday products have soared by up to 80 per cent in two years, official NHS data shows.
It is a reversal of a trend that had seen levels gradually decline since 2018, when GPs were warned not to “waste” NHS resources on everyday items sold in shops and supermarkets.
Now GPs say they have to act to protect their “most vulnerable” patients from the impact of the cost of living crisis.
Although official NHS guidance clearly states that over-the-counter products such as standard multivitamin tablets, non-medicated anti-dandruff shampoos and common infant formulas should not be prescribed, doctors can use their discretion to override this where they deem necessary.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, president of the Royal College of GPs, said GPs would not prescribe items without “good reason” and that doctors took into account all aspects of a patient’s health, including “physical, psychological and social”.
There was a 16 per cent increase over two years in GP prescriptions for adult daily multivitamin tablets from over-the-counter brands including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco. The number of prescriptions issued increased from around 151,600 in 2021/22 to 175,000 in 2023/24.
These figures are only for standard multivitamins that can be purchased in stores and do not include special formulations for children or specific medical conditions, such as kidney failure.
Prescriptions issued by GPs in England for these everyday products have soared by up to 80 per cent in two years (file image)

These recipes were for everyday “home and over-the-counter” items, including Colgate Total toothpaste, Ambre Solaire after-sun lotion, and Neutrogena and Aveeno shampoos (file image)

GPs say they have to act to protect their ‘most vulnerable’ patients from the impact of the cost of living crisis (file image)
Health chiefs have warned GPs not to prescribe vitamins except in specific cases of deficiency or malnutrition.
The National Health Service in England states that most supplements can be bought cheaply over the counter and that “most people can and should obtain (vitamins) by following a healthy, varied and balanced diet.” But the number of people struggling to get food is rising – the Trussell Trust food bank has reported a 94 per cent increase in the use of its emergency food parcels in the last five years.
There was also a four per cent increase in prescriptions for over-the-counter toiletries issued by GPs over the two-year period, rising from around 270,600 in 2021/22 to almost 282,000 in 2023/24.
These prescriptions were for everyday “home and over-the-counter” items, including Colgate Total toothpaste, Ambre Solaire after-sun lotion, and Neutrogena and Aveeno shampoos, not special prescription medicinal products, which are recorded separately .
And the number of prescriptions for standard brands of baby formula, including SMA Little Steps and Aptamil 1, increased by 80 per cent in two years and a third in the last year alone, despite clear guidance stating that NHS chiefs they do not “approve” of these prescriptions.
The figures do not include special formulas for specific conditions or dietary needs, which are allowed to be prescribed.
In 2021/22, doctors issued 201 prescriptions for standard formula, a small number that reflects how rare it was for standard infant formula to be prescribed as medicine. But in 2023/34, the number of annual prescriptions had increased to 362.
The sharp increase is likely to have been driven by the rising retail price of baby formula. Costs rose by 25 percent in the two years to the end of 2023, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) watchdog. Next month (February) it is expected to release its report on whether the formula industry has made a profit.

The number of prescriptions for standard brands of baby formula, including SMA Little Steps and Aptamil 1, increased by 80 percent in two years and a third in the last year alone (file image)

Nine out of ten prescriptions dispensed in England are issued free of charge, although 40 percent of the population must pay for them (file image)
Professor Hawthorne added: “The most vulnerable in society are, of course, the hardest hit (by the cost of living crisis), and GPs are witnessing how higher prices are affecting the health of our patients every day in our consultations.
‘We recognize that prescription drug costs are important to the NHS, and GPs will always encourage patients to purchase over-the-counter items where it is appropriate and safe to do so. But… some patients need them for medical reasons, and some, particularly during this cost of living crisis, have difficulty paying for them or can’t afford them.’
Although prescription data does not reflect whether or not patients pay for prescriptions, GPs are likely to only issue a prescription for an over-the-counter item when the patient does not pay for their prescriptions, or if the item would cost significantly more. . without a prescription than the standard charge of £9.65 per prescription.
Nine out of every ten prescriptions dispensed in England are issued free of charge, although 40 per cent of the population must pay for them, Government figures show. Among those exempt from paying are children under 16 (or under 18 in full-time education), adults over 60 and people receiving some benefits or tax credits, including those on Universal Credit. whose income is below a certain threshold.
NHS bosses updated their prescribing guidelines in November to reiterate that vitamins and toiletries should not be prescribed except in circumstances where doctors consider that “the patient’s ability to care for themselves is compromised due to medical problems.” , mental health or significant social vulnerability to the extent that their health and/or well-being could be adversely affected.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “GPs are expert medical professionals and use their knowledge to prescribe treatments that keep patients healthy and prevent further health problems.” The NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world and GPs are very aware of how much prescriptions cost the NHS and will always encourage patients to buy ‘over the counter’ products.