This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Classify melatonin pills as over-the-counter medication
I would like to suggest that pills containing small doses of melatonin (0.5 to 10 mg) that are aimed as sleeping aid should be classified as over-the-counter medication. The process of getting a prescription is very time consuming for the patients and the NHS. This is a simple solution.
More details
Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body and thus does not need to be regulated so heavily. Irregular insomnia episodes are very common but are not classified as chronic, and therefore cannot be considered for prescription. Furthermore, there is little evidence of artificial melatonin dependence, no evidence of a lethal dose and the side effects are not chronic or significant enough for the heavy regulation it has. Hence,I suggest a set of limit to 10mg for over-the-counter melatonin.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
We can't accept your petition because the UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for the issue you raise.
Decisions about the classification of medicines as prescription-only or 'over the counter' are a matter for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), not the UK Government or Parliament. The MHRA is operationally independent from the Government.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.