Amoxicillin is used to treat a wide range of infections including respiratory infections, middle ear infections, dental abscesses, and a number of other infections. Amoxicillin is the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the UK with seasonal prescribing patterns.
In the months of December and January on average, about 1 million Amoxicillin prescriptions is issued each month (OpenPrescribing.net)
Is Amoxicillin available over the counter without prescription?
No. In UK Amoxicillin has legal status of prescription only medicine (POM). This means it can only be supplied from a pharmacy on prescription issued by appropriate prescriber such as:
- A doctor;
- A dentist;
- A supplementary prescriber;
- A nurse independent prescriber; and
- A pharmacist independent prescriber
Can you buy Amoxicillin online without prescription?
No. Supply of Amoxicillin without prescription would be illegal. There are however online services which allow you to have a consultation with a doctor who can issue a private prescription online.
I have seen a website selling Amoxicillin without prescription, is it legitimate?
Most likely not, since the supply of Amoxicillin in UK requires a prescription. Buying medication from unknown website can be risky (Dangers of buying medicines online). In UK, The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) operates ‘a voluntary internet pharmacy logo scheme’.
All pharmacies in Great Britain, including online pharmacies, must be registered with the GPhC. Look for the following logo to check if website operates legitimately:
Alternatively you can check registration status for any pharmacy by searching GPhC’s online register.
References:
- Sutherland, R., Croydon, E.A.P. and Rolinson, G.N., 1972. Amoxycillin: a new semi-synthetic penicillin. Br Med J, 3(5817), pp.13-16. https://www.bmj.com/content/3/5817/13.short  Acessed on 14/03/2019
- 2. Erah, P.O., Goddard, A.F., Barrett, D.A., Shaw, P.N. and Spiller, R.C., 1997. The stability of amoxycillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole in gastric juice: relevance to the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 39(1), pp.5-12. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jac/article-abstract/39/1/5/734694
