It will get more difficult to procure Codeine based pain killers, cough syrups etc. from the local pharmacists from now on. There have been new restrictions over codeine based drugs like Nurofen Plus, Panadeine and Mersyndol which were initially sold over the counter but lost this OTC status with effect from May 1st 2010. The National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee formulated the changes during meetings in June and October last year.
Now pharmacists will be keeping a close watch on the sale of these drugs with no one allowed to buy more than a five-day supply. The dose of codeine in the preparation will also be reduced to a maximum of 12 milligrams per day. Earlier patients could buy packs of 96 tablets but now they would be able to buy 30 tablets in a six per day pack and 40 tablets in an eight per day pack.
The National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee has brought forth the fact that one in 20,000 people abuse combination analgesics containing codeine and ibuprofen, which can cause perforated gastric ulcers, bleeding from these stomach ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and even deaths. Reports of addicts taking up to 80 such tablets a day have also surfaced.
According to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (NSW) President Peter Gissing, these restrictions will bring on “a better environment than where people are having misadventures involving the products.” The Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Kos Sclavos said, “Patients who are legitimately and correctly using it, especially when it comes to families or elderly couples, they're going to have to send different members of the family in because a five-day supply for a husband and wife now becomes a two-and-a-half day supply…It's a shame that a very small number of patients are going to create such an inconvenience for the majority of patients who use these products appropriately….Many consumers may be confused or inconvenienced by the changes, so it is important that they are properly informed that community pharmacies are required by law to comply with the new scheduling requirements.”
The Australian Self Medication Industry for the OTC drug manufacturers also said that these restrictions are unnecessary. Scientific director Deon Schoombie said, “Our position has always been that we thought these measures were overkill…The decision was based on anecdotal reports of a small minority of people using these products incorrectly, so taking large quantities of combination analgesics which obviously led to quite serious side effects….But the vast majority of consumers use these products responsibly and correctly….People who use it for sport injuries or for strong pain or for headaches - what it now means is you'll have to go back more regularly to talk to your pharmacist or GP.”
Dr Geraldine Moses a senior drug information pharmacist at Brisbane's Mater Hospital felt similarly and said, “The vast majority of consumers are legitimate users… It's only with time it became recognised there was a small population who abused these drugs ... those naughty people who want to use these drugs to try to get high…And giving themselves dreadful side-effects from the ingredients that are carried along with the codeine.” He also felt that this would burden the pharmacists as these drugs are commonly used.
Common people believe that such measures will not stop addicts. They will visit multiple pharmacies to feed their addiction.
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