THE Victorian Pharmacy Authority (VPA) has issued a formal warning about consumers attempting to stockpile S3 medicines containing codeine, in the lead-up to the rescheduling of the products as prescription only next year.
In a circular to pharmacists the VPA said "the decision to transfer non-prescription medicines that contain codeine into Schedule 4 has generated attempts by codeine habitus to use agents to purchase stocks of them for reward".
The Authority cited an allegation where a person had used an on-line marketplace to recruit people to visit pharmacies and purchase items such as Nurofen Plus and place them in a letterbox, with a commission paid to the agent.
"The Glen Waverley area has been identified at the time of this Circular going to press, but the practice could spread," the VPA said, reminding pharmacists they must personally deliver or personally supervise the supply of any S3 product, and provide directions for its use.
"Relevantly, the supply must be for therapeutic use after taking all reasonable steps to ensure that a therapeutic need exists," the Authority added.
MEANWHILE the VPA also noted "serious common deficiencies" highlighted during inspections of pharmacies in the state, including a failure to routinely scan all dispensed medicines.
"Given the well-known problems associated with 'look-alike sound-alike products' as well as selection errors and storing products, where the first few letters are the same, it is surprising that some pharmacists do not take full advantage of the scanning technology," the VPA said.
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