THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has renewed its call for the urgent implementation of a national real-time recording and reporting system for prescribing and dispensing of specific high-risk medicines, following the TGA decision to up-schedule products containing codeine (PD yesterday).
PSA national president Joe Demarte said the TGA scheduling decision missed the mark on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) in the context of minimising unintended harm for consumers seeking treatment for pain and managing addiction issues.
"While we are concerned with the harm and deaths arising from inappropriate use of codeine-containing medicines, PSA does not believe the decision to make OTC codeine medicines prescription-only on its own provides for a holistic consumer-focussed solution," Demarte said.
"PSA is committed to supporting pharmacists to provide solutions to consumers seeking relief from pain and managing addiction issues, as part of a partnership approach with consumers and other health professionals," he added.
"Pain management is a complex and subjective matter and pharmacists have a critical role in advising and supporting consumers and carers and working with other health professionals."
Demarte also urged the government to "work with the peak national body for pharmacists" to deliver an effective plan to implement the new policy, including strategies to facilitate pharmacists' discussion of therapy options with consumers.
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