Regulating bodies & categories of drugs
These governing bodies provide guidelines and information on best practice regarding medication:u00a0
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- Nursing & Midwifery Council
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MRHA)
Categories of Medication
The Medicines Act 1968 defines 3 legal categories of medicines:
- General Sale List Medications (GSL)
These can be sold in by a wide range of shops. Often a small pack size or low strength of the medicine may be sold.
Pharmacy Medicines (P)
Only pharmacies may sell these medicines and a pharmacist must make or supervise the sale.
Prescription u2013 only Medicines (POM).
You cannot get these medicines without a prescription, usually from your GP.
Complementary and alternative therapies.
These products are classified as borderline medical products, such as food supplements, herbal products and cosmetics. These are not regulated the same way as the other medicines.
