HEALTH Minister Sussan Ley has confirmed her department is currently in the process of completing a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) on codeine-containing medications, which will be published before the next scheduling decision is to be made.
Speaking at the Australian Self Medication Industry conference yesterday, Ley said the proposal to up-schedule codeine products to S4 (PD 02 Oct 2015) had attracted more than 260 submissions.
The industry has not been updated on the status of the codeine rescheduling since Mar.
Ley also hinted at an expanded role for pharmacists in minor ailments, citing the New Zealand situation where chemists can supply some medicines to treat influenza, migraines and urinary tract infections without prescription.
The health minister is pictured above at the conference with ASMI chairman Lindsay Forrest (left) and ceo Deon Schoombie.
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