ANTICIPATING the 01 Feb 2018 planned OTC codeine products upscheduling to S4 (PD 20 Dec 16), the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) NSW Branch has called for a rethink of the move.
A circular to members this week said if the proposed rescheduling of over-the-counter (OTC) codeine-containing analgesics to prescription only goes ahead, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Australians who use these products appropriately and safely will be forced to visit a GP to get a prescription in order to still use the products.
President of the PSA NSW Branch Professor Peter Carroll said clearly many would not be able to get an immediate appointment and, due to the rescheduling, would be forced to suffer unnecessary pain.
"This will be particularly so in regional parts of Australia where there is a shortage of GP access," Carroll pointed out.
The NSW PSA Branch said it also believed that the rescheduling would add significant costs to the healthcare system, and costs to patients if the GP did not bulk bill.
"We must remember that alternative OTC analgesics such as those containing ibuprofen will not be a safe alternative for many patients, and these patients will have no option but to visit the GP."
Carroll said the NSW Branch believed that low dose codeine-containing analgesics must remain an OTC therapeutic option for the management of acute, short term pain.
"Community pharmacists have the knowledge base and competence to counsel patients regarding the effective and safe use of these products, and the vast majority of patients who use the products do so safely and appropriately for short-term use, and are at no risk of becoming dependent on codeine," he said.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Jul 17
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 21 Jul 17
