"I'm angry he's been over-prescribed, " said Sharon Buxton, whose son Craig was a patient at the clinic.

BBC: Child clinic made 'diagnosis errors'

Both over-the-counter antihistamines and prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors have an expiration date, after which their effectiveness diminishes.

CNN: Food allergy diagnosis: What parents should know

It said NHS boards should target areas for further improvement, such as identifying where particular drugs are over or under-prescribed and supporting GPs to review patients who take a number of different medicines.

BBC: Scots GPs 'could save NHS ?26m'

But under the original IRS guidance, people couldn't use those cards for the prescribed over-the-counter medications.

WSJ: In Health Law, Rx for Trouble

It wasn't exactly a new idea: Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, already covers some over-the-counter drugs if they are prescribed.

WSJ: In Health Law, Rx for Trouble

They take complex antiretroviral drugs which can interact with a number of over-the counter and commonly prescribed medicines.

BBC: Condoms

He had noted Mr Nichol's "obvious over-sedated appearance", after he was prescribed diazepam and methadone, withholding overnight doses of medication.

BBC: Nurse on duty during Kieran Nichol death struck off

Mr. Todd also consulted a psychiatrist in March 2012 over depression and stress-related issues and was prescribed antidepressants, Mr. Tai said.

WSJ: Singapore: Experts Agree U.S. Man's Apparent Suicide

Papa Salif Sow, of Dakar University in Senegal, told the IAS conference that the consensus of studies in Africa over the past few years was that 80-85% of people took their drugs exactly as prescribed.

ECONOMIST: Trick or treatment?