Summary
26 October 2018
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling (ACMS) looked at upscheduling modified-release paracetamol from Schedule 2 (Pharmacy only) to Schedule 3 (Pharmacist only).
The RACGP has concerns with the ACMS’s upscheduling proposal for modified-release paracetamol, as we believe it is unlikely to improve the safety of drug delivery or quality use of medicines. The RACGP notes that the justification for upscheduling is based on the perceived increased risk from deliberate self-poisoning, and the increased complexity a modified-release formulation would have in this situation.