London (CNN) -- In the 23 years since he tried to break up a robbery in central London, Ian Semmons hasn't spent a day without severe pain. The fight left Semmons with multiple fractures, including a broken back and two shattered ankles. He had a head injury so severe, doctors put him in a coma and kept him there for a month to control the swelling in his brain. "I spent nine months in hospital and then 12 months in a rehabilitation center, where I was basically rebuilt," Semmons says. "But nothing was done to treat my pain." His regular doctor, a general practitioner with Britain's National Health Service, offered little for the pain despite his complaints. At the time, patients in Britain's government-run system such as Semmons weren't able to switch to another doctor. Unlike patients now, he was stuck.
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Britain's Ian Semmons dealt with pain for years and didn't know options were available
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UK doctors are reluctant to prescribe painkillers, especially opiates
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Even drugs sold over the counter are restricted in pharmacies there
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But the differences between the United States and UK may be blurring
United States
While you can walk into virtually any @placeholder drugstore and pick up a bottle of ibuprofen or acetaminophen with 400 or 500 tablets, the largest size on UK shelves contains just 16 pills.
Britain
Britain
Britain
UK
UK
While you can walk into virtually any U.S. drugstore and pick up a bottle of ibuprofen or acetaminophen with 400 or 500 tablets, the largest size on @placeholder shelves contains just 16 pills.