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Pharmacists’ responses to codeine upscheduling decision

Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced that products containing codeine will be available only with a prescription from February 1, 2018. Pharmacists are largely disappointed with the decision. They say that this is not the answer to misuse issues and, that it creates a new problem for patients who genuinely need them.

According to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the need for a prescription will simply add to overall healthcare costs and do little to address the misuse of these products by some patients. As a result of the decision, patients who use these products safely will have to get a prescription from their GP every time they need them.

To help cut the misuse of codeine containing medicines, the Guild has developed and introduced a real time recording system called MedsASSIST. Of 4 million transactions recorded since March, Pharmacists have denied sales to some 70,000 patients because of identified risk factors, and nearly 50% of patients denied a sale were referred to their doctor for more treatment.

However, the decision has been made despite the success of this program. George Tambassis, the National President of the Pharmacy Guild, said that shifting it to prescription only without a mandated real time recording system or any screening program will simply bury the problem even deeper in the overwhelmed system and cost shift it to an already bursting MBS.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Joe Demarte, said the scheduling decision was a missed opportunity to ensure Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) in the context of minimising unintended harm for consumers seeking treatment for pain and managing addiction issues. PSA does not believe the decision to make OTC codeine medicines prescription-only on its own provides for a holistic consumer-focussed solution

Following the decision, Mr Demarte highlighted that pharmacists will be at the forefront of dealing with consumers in the lead-up to this change.

“As the most accessible health professionals in Australia, pharmacists will be working with consumers to identify other pain management options and discussing transition issues with local prescribers,” Mr Demarte said.

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