Uptake of MAS higher in deprived Scottish areas

摘要

Uptake of the minor ailment scheme (MAS) has been higher in the most deprived areas in Scotland and in urban pharmacies, research has shown.The research, published online in Health Policy (3 August 2010), also showed that multiple pharmacies have higher MAS dispensing rates than independent pharmacies and that uptake is higher in areas where there are more people aged under 16 years.A total of 1,211,900 items were dispensed under the scheme in 2008-09, which equated to 1.4 per cent of the total items dispensed in Scotland. The two most commonly dispensed items were paracetamol and ibuprofen. The number of top 10 medicines dispensed via the MAS equated to 12 per cent of the total amount of these products dispensed.