PHARMACEUTICAL opioids are now responsible for far more deaths and poisoning hospitalisations in Australia than illegal opioids such as heroin, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) reports.
As a consequence of the frightening data such as, nearly 150 hospitalisations and 14 emergency department admissions involving opioid harm, and three people dying from drug-induced deaths involving opioid use, the TGA was tasked by the Federal Government with helping tackle the problem.
A public consultation was set up and a total of 98 submissions were received from interested parties, indicating a strong level of interest in a regulatory response, the TGA said.
Several reviews and activities arose from the consultation:
Smaller pack sizes will be available for immediate-release prescription products
Sponsors will need to include boxed warnings and class statements in their PIs for prescription opioids
Similarly CMIs will contain safety information and warnings as well
Approved indications for these products will also reinforce that opioids should only be used when other analgesics have proven not to be effective
Fentanyl in particular, as the strongest opioid in Australia, will have an updated indication list reserving its use for patients with cancer, patients in palliative care and those with exceptional circumstances.
The TGA said it is in the process of communicating these changes to health professionals and consumers, encouraging the return of unwanted opioids to pharmacies.
Products of concern are named as fentanyl, codeine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, morphine, tramadol, tapentadol, buprenorphine and methadone.
NPS MedicineWise offers pharmacists a Pharmacy Practice Review CPD activity - Opioids: reducing harms from long term use.
Participants working through this module receive a counselling checklist and practice tips for starting conversations with patients about opioid tapering - CLICK HERE.
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