We must not let Europe slow down the pace of British POM-to-P switches

摘要

ALTHOUGH everyone thinks of ibuprofen or loperamide as the first switches from prescription-only medicines to pharmacy medicines, the era started with terfenadine, which was the first new drug to get a pharmacy only (P) classification. It happened through a simple regulatory mechanism. Under UK law, all medicines are P medicines unless they meet the criteria to be classified as POMs or general sale list medicines, when they are put on the relevant list. Until then their legal status is defined through the marketing authorisation only.