'I'm a UK doctor in a US pharmacy - I'm shocked by what's available over the counter'

Dr Mim paid a sojourn to a subdivision of the CVS pharmaceutical concatenation and couldn't judge what was disposable to acquisition without a medicine oregon consultation with a doctor

We each cognize the healthcare systems successful the UK and the US disagree importantly - but ever wondered however the 2 countries' pharmacies opposition too?

A British doc went to spot for herself arsenic she paid a sojourn to a CVS Pharmacy subdivision successful Florida whist holidaying crossed the pond. Dr Mim, who specialises successful obstetrics and gynaecology took to TikTok to uncover her findings, showcasing what tin beryllium bought implicit the antagonistic successful America that can't beryllium backmost home.

Upon entering the store, Mim instantly noticed packs of 1,000 ibuprofen tablets - successful stark opposition to the 16 oregon 32 packs connected merchantability successful the UK. She besides highlighted naproxen, which she described arsenic a "super-strong anti-inflammatory", adding that doctors successful the UK person to beryllium cautious erstwhile prescribing owed to its imaginable to origin bleeding successful the stomach.

Mim besides noted freely disposable melatonin gummies. "They assistance you slumber and are lone disposable via a medicine successful the UK," she said. "We prescribe 2mg to assistance with insomnia, but present they person 10mg gummies implicit the counter."

Omeprazole was adjacent connected Mim's database - different point she says is unavailable astatine location without a prescription. "Here you tin conscionable get it randomly," she continued, earlier highlighting akin medicine connected the shelves to dainty heartburn.

Mim past spotted an antibiotic and symptom alleviation medicine utilized to dainty ailments specified arsenic bug bites, which contains trimethoprim. "As acold arsenic I'm alert you cannot bargain antibiotics without a medicine successful the UK, truthful that's benignant of strange," she said.

Next up was paracetamol - oregon acetaminophen arsenic it is known successful the US. "The astir you tin get successful the UK is 18 [tablets] successful a battalion and you're usually constricted to 2 packs," Mim explained. "But present you tin get 500 capsules, which is brainsick - that's 250 doses."

Closing, Mim highlighted you tin bargain contraceptive pills implicit the antagonistic excessively without consultation with a doc oregon a prescription, meanwhile. Her video prompted a immense absorption - viewed much than 2 cardinal times.

One irate chap Brit penned successful response: "The information that they tin conscionable BUY antibiotics makes maine inexplicably angry." A 2nd added: "I deliberation we should decidedly beryllium allowed to bargain antibiotics successful the UK, getting antibiotics is similar golden particulate erstwhile radical genuinely request them and they're nary prescribed properly."

However, a 3rd TikTok idiosyncratic warned against specified freedoms: "My mum bought painkillers from CVS erstwhile we were successful New York for her sciatica - took 2 tablets (assuming they were a brand-name ibuprofen arsenic the terms was comparable) - turns retired they were naproxen and she was truly unwell for the evening! The medicine epidemic successful the States is hugely concerning! People privation to instrumentality a pill for everything!"

Whilst a 4th idiosyncratic said you person to instrumentality the unsmooth with the creaseless sometimes: "In the UK it doesn't outgo america to spot a doc to get the prescriptions. So I tin spot wherefore they're a spot much disposable implicit there."