Medicines Classification Committee

An application to reclassify the gout prevention medicine allopurinol for dispensing without a prescription by trained pharmacists, has been delayed at the request of the submitter.

Pharmacists dispensing gout-preventing allopurinol without a prescription is one step closer to reality following the latest Medicines Classification Committee meeting

The Medicines Class­ification Committee is poised to consider whether pharmacists should be able to dispense the gout prevention medication allopurinol without a prescription to patients already taking it

The Medicines Classification Committee is forging ahead with its recommendation to reclassify pholcodine after considering objections, but says reclassification for paracetamol is not required

Last month’s reclassification of all codeine-containing medicines to prescription-only appears to have elicited grumbling and concern from patients around New Zealand

In just over a month, codeine-­containing medicines will move to prescription-only and a Whangārei pharmacist is worried the change may come as a “dirty” surprise to the public

In just over a month, codeine-­containing medicines will move to prescription-only and a Whangārei pharmacist is worried the change may come as a “dirty” surprise to the public

A move to reclassify the cough suppressant pholcodine as pharmacist-only has been delayed until at least October

The Medicines Classification Committee has recommended the cough suppressant pholcodine be classified as a pharmacist-only medicine despite widespread opposition