Crossword Genius

Finished the table without a prescription (4,3,7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

over the counter

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'without a prescription' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'finished the table' is the wordplay.
'finished' becomes 'over' (over can mean finished or ended).
'table' becomes 'counter' (counter is a kind of table).
'over'+'the'+'counter'='OVER-THE-COUNTER'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for over the counter that I've seen before include "unrestricted sale" , "way some drugs are sold" , "By ordinary retail purchase" , "Purchasable without prescription" , "sold quite legally" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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