MAINSTREAM media coverage has prompted angry online reactions to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) rescheduling of products containing codeine from S3 to S4, prescription only.
A report on news.com.au on Fri highlighted the upcoming change and provoked more than 260 Facebook posts from members of the public, almost all of which opposed the move.
Amid frequent references to the "nanny state", readers expressed concern over being able to readily access codeine products and the impact of having to seek appointments at their GP.
The following are a selection of some of the Facebook comments:
Dan Hambly: "This country is turning into such a nanny state, whatever happened to people taking responsibility for their own actions :("
Hethah Le Bacn: "Why can't they treat it the way they treat products with psudoephedrine in them?
"This will end up with more pressure on the hospital system.
"If I'm caught unprepared for a migraine, I can just make it to the chemist and back home before the vomiting."
Simone Coulon: "Besides the GP's, the only people who agree with this have never experienced or have to live with chronic pain."
Sharon Curle: "This is ridiculous, people are not going to get on top of their pain and will need to take more time off work!
"It's ridiculous that someone has to spend $90 for a headache pill!"
Kymberley Krogh: "Great just clog up the doctors office more and spend more of tax payers money paying for visits to GP's for legitimate users!"
Elizabeth Pentland: "Soooo ridiculous! So it will be even more difficult to get into a doctor if you are really sick since anyone with simple period pain or headache will now be clogging up clinic waiting rooms on a regular basis for prescriptions. So impractical!!!"
Patients are advised to talk to their pharmacist about alternative ways to manage their pain.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Sep 17
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