Published: 22 April 2016
Minor ailments schemes: an overview of experience up to 2015
The HRB has completed a review on the nature of Minor Ailment Schemes (MAS) delivery by pharmacists for the Department of Health (DOH). The ultimate aim of this review was to describe how MASs operated in other jurisdictions, including how the schemes are structured, regulated and resourced. The DoH also wished to identify revisions made to the original scheme, and why such revisions were made. In addition, the HRB was tasked with examining studies that determined costs and benefits of the scheme for four key stakeholders: patients, pharmacists, general practitioners (GPs) and the rest of the health system. Finally, the HRB was asked to identify enablers of or barriers to participating in the scheme for stakeholders.