From February 2018 new national regulations will ensure people will need to see a doctor to be prescribed codeine based analgesics including some cough mixtures with codeine additives.
RACGP President Bastian Seidel says, “with more than one million Australians taking codeine based medications every year, codeine addiction has become a serious problem for our community.
“The consumption of these medications is currently running out of control with over 16 million items being sold over the counter in pharmacies every year.
“Up to 150 Australians are now dying1 from codeine-related overdoses each year – double the number ten years ago.
“Many more people are also seeking help for codeine addiction.
“While these sales represent a lucrative financial return of over $150 million a year for the pharmacy industry, patients are paying for this with their lives.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA’s) decision to reschedule over the counter codeine based medications is being strongly endorsed by medical and community groups, and follows similar action in many other countries.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Pharmacy Guilds’ efforts to lobby government to continue over the counter sales have undermined the collaborative work by governments and health professionals across Australia through the Nationally Coordinated Codeine Implementation Working Group - particularly its work to develop information and resources for GPs, pharmacists and patients in preparation for the change in February 2018.
“I’m calling on the PSA and the Pharmacy Guild to support the TGA’s decision to end over the counter sales - or remove themselves from the working group immediately.
“It’s time these pharmacy peak bodies committed to this much needed public safety initiative.”
For more information about Codeine addiction and the RACGP’s position on over the counter sales please visit www.racgp.org.au