ASMI welcomes opportunity for further consultation on OTC codeine medicines
11 December 2015 –

The Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) today welcomed the announcement by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of a further consultation regarding scheduling of over-the-counter (OTC) codeine medicines.

Steve Scarff, ASMI Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Director, said:

“The TGA’s proposed amendments take a more sophisticated and transparent approach and enable stakeholders to make more informed comment.

“We are pleased the TGA is proposing separate regulatory approaches for cough/cold/flu products and OTC codeine-containing analgesics.

“While there is no evidence that cough/cold/flu medicines are being misused, there is general agreement that action is needed to reduce the risk of misuse of OTC codeine-containing analgesics by a small minority of people.

“An appropriate balance needs to be achieved between managing the risk of misuse of OTC codeine-containing analgesics, whilst maintaining appropriate pharmacy access to these products for the overwhelming majority of consumers who use them safely and responsibly.

“ASMI will work with its members and other stakeholders as it prepares a detailed response to the consultation,” he added.