Medicines Classification Committee

Medsafe is asking the Medicines Classification Committee (MCC) to recommend the cough suppressant pholcodine be reclassified as a pharmacist-only medicine.

The Medicines Classification Committee has received a single objection to the recommendation made at its 63rd meeting last year that all codeine-containing medicines should be reclassified as prescription medicines

The Medicines Classification Committee has determined reclassifying all codeine-containing medicines to prescription-only is justified

Rumours of the cough syrup Gees Linctus disappearing from the New Zealand market have been greatly exaggerated, despite the popular medicine becoming restricted to prescription only

Two hundred and fifty pharmacists have undertaken voluntary training since early September to supply the sleep medication melatonin without a prescription since training began in September

Two hundred and fifty pharmacists have undertaken voluntary training since early September to supply the sleep medication melatonin without a prescription since training began in September

Pharmacists will not have to undertake additional training to be able to dispense melatonin without a prescription, unless they decide for themselves they need it

Pharmacists are now permitted to dispense the sleep medication melatonin to insomnia patients without a prescription, but it may be two months before pharmacists can actually offer the new service.

Authorities in the Australian state of Victoria now have instant access to prescription data for high-risk medicines, and on this side of the Tasman, the Medicines Classification Committee is considering introducing a similar system

The date for the reclassification of codeine coming into force will not be 31 January 2020, Medsafe group manager Chris James says