GLAXOSMITHKLINE and Bayer Pharmaceuticals have both confirmed their intentions to withdraw from the OTC codeine combination analgesic markets next year, following the TGA's decision to upschedule the products to prescription-only next year.
A GSK statement said the company had undertaken a "thorough assessment of the strong pain environment" and decided that Australians already have access to a wide range of high quality codeine-containing analgesics via prescription.
"Based on this we have taken the decision not to move our codeine-containing analgesics (Panafen Plus, Panadeine, Panadeine Rapid Soluble and Panadeine Extras) from S3 OTC to S4 prescription only medicines.
"This means that they will no longer be available in the Australian market," the company said.
GSK said it was working on an exit plan to manage the transition.
Bayer has also confirmed it will pull its OTC products telling Pharm in Focus that "the up-scheduling affected our cold and flu products and these will be deleted post 1st February 2018".
These items include Demazin PE Cold & Flu Relief, Demazin Cold & Flu Day & Night Relief and Demazin Day & Night Cold & Flu tablets - with Bayer saying it plans to replace the products with new codeine-free formulations.
MEANWHILE Pharmacy Guild president George Tambassis has confirmed progress with the Therapeutic Goods Administration on "giving access to codeine-containing products that will be upscheduled to prescription only".
Speaking on a panel at APP on Fri, Tambassis said he had met with TGA chief John Skerritt who had "agreed to work with us on a solution...that way we can propose an evidence-based solution to the regulatory authorities so people using these medicines appropriately, for the right conditions, can still access those medicines.
"The TGA has agreed to work with the Guild to bring that solution to life," Tambassis promised.
"Our position is quite clear that we're going to work with the TGA to find an alternative model, and we're doing that, full steam ahead".
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