Pharmacy Area
From 1 May 2010, tighter controls will apply to combination analgesics containing codeine. Products will be rescheduled from Pharmacy Medicines to Pharmacist Only Medicines, and from Pharmacist Only Medicines to Prescription Only Medicines depending on pack size.
Packs of combination analgesics containing codeine in divided preparations (e.g. tablets or capsules):
- will NOT BE available as Pharmacy Medicines
- will be Pharmacist Only Medicines when:
— containing up to 5 days treatment and up to 12 mg codeine (15.4 mg
codeine phosphate) per dosage unit and
— labelled with a recommended total daily dose of up to 100 mg
codeine (128 mg codeine phosphate). - will be Prescription Only Medicines when:
— containing more than 5 days treatment and/or greater than 12 mg
codeine (15.4 mg codeine phosphate) per dosage unit or
— labeled with a recommended total daily dose of more than 100 mg
codeine (128 mg codeine phosphate).
The new arrangements will mean that under the Pharmacist Only Medicine schedule:
- products with a daily dose of 6 units (e.g. Nurofen® Plus) may come in packs
of up to 30 units - products with a daily dose of 8 units (e.g. Panadeine®) may come in packs
of up to 40 units
In addition, combination analgesic products in undivided preparations (e.g. mixtures) will be Pharmacist Only Medicines (S3) when they contain up to 5 days treatment and 0.25% or less of codeine and are labelled with a total daily dose of up to 100 mg codeine (128 mg codeine phosphate).
Pharmacist Only Medicines and Prescription Only Medicines must be stored out of reach of the consumer. Check the State/Territory regulations relevant to you to establish where these medicines need to be stored in your pharmacy.
Pharmacist Only Medicines may only be given to consumers following professional consultation with the pharmacist. The pharmacist checks:
- what is the best medicine for the condition presented
- which medicine is safest and most appropriate to use
- that it is understood by the consumer how to correctly use the medicine
Prescription Only Medicines can only be dispensed by pharmacists once presented with a valid prescription.
Pharmacist Only Medicines and Prescription Only Medicines containing codeine may not be advertised directly to consumers or to pharmacy assistants. This includes advertising such as TV, radio, catalogues, posters and in-store promotion. This means:
- No branded advertising
- No branded promotions
- No window displays
- No front of store displays.
Make sure any of your pharmacy’s advertising or promotional materials
(including price lists) are in line with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code
available from www.tgacc.com.au.
Click on this link to download and print a guide to analgesic rescheduling,
produced by Reckitt Benckiser. Analgesic Rescheduling Guide PDF
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