Professor Peter Carroll, School of Medicine Notre Dame university, Sydney, questions the latest government knee jerk response to a claimed abuse of codeine-based pain killers. He says that, if the proposed rescheduling goes through, many people will be left without “effective treatment for their toothache, period pain or migraines”. The ban on over the counter sales would cause “unnecessary pain” and significant costs will be added to the health system.

Carroll says that the codeine-based, OTC pain killers like Nurofen Plus, Mersyndol and Panadeine Extra, are used by the majority as they are intended: for acute pain. Ninety eight percent of purchases, monitored in real time by pharmacies, are used to treat short-term, acute pain, and “acute pain knows no clock” It doesn't care about waiting times at the doctor's surgery or in a hospital emergency department, the latter being places we are exhorted not to use if we can avoid it by costly government TV advertisements. There is “no evidence supporting the claim that 'many' consumers are using these products for 'chronic' pain. Some people do use codeine “inappropriately”, but their numbers are one quarter of those claimed by the pot stirrers claiming concern.

Bringing a few misusers off the OTC codeine-based products would result in “higher strength” products prescribed by doctors.

Professor Carroll wrote in The Australian that “it makes no sense to change the system where the small percentage of people who may be misusing the products can be identified and helped, to one where they cannot.

Doctors' surgeries have no real-time monitoring system of prescription codeine products, so there is no way of of identifying doctor shoppers who obtain multiple prescriptions. Mandatory monitoring at pharmacies is the way to go.

The government, as usual, wants to take the easy way out, and allow a minority to make things harder and more expensive for the majority.

There is an interesting article titled.
"Three claims used to justify pulling codeine from sale without a prescription, and why they’re wrong"

https://theconversation.com/three-claims-used-to-justify-pulling-codeine-from-sale-without-a-prescription-and-why-theyre-wrong-87257

medicare will loose millions as people will just shop around to different doctors for more prescriptions.

Doctors will make lots of money because people will come in for 2 minute visit to get a prescription at full fee.

Article forgot to remove S in https

http://theconversation.com/three-claims-used-to-justify-pulling-codeine-from-sale-without-a-prescription-and-why-theyre-wrong-87257

Hi Ttbn,

I don't know about states other than SA, but I do get a laugh out of that cold-hearted ad about how NOT to over-use the emergency systems of hospitals,

* where the 'doctor' implicitly advises (maybe this is my take on it) people with serious injuries to wait a bit, and only get an ambulance if you are in extreme agony;

*. that for serious illnesses, go and see your GP;

*. for other illnesses, take a pill;

*. and for minor ailments such as pneumonia, flu, etc., go to bed and let your mum look after you.

But for Christ sake, don't bother hospital staff.

Of course, in real life, hospital staff are like angels, very hard-working angels. It's a pity they're not shown in such ads, doing wonders.

Cheers,

Joe

Philip S,

Yes. Every time governments meddle, we pay more. Big government = big money. Our money.

Joe,

Yeah. They even stick 'keep away' notices up in public toilets now. Saw one the other day that still had a blob of phlegm running off the face of the very stout blonde piece who warns us off on taxpayer- funded TV ads.