Patient Safety

A MEDSAFE COMMITTEE says opioid-based dry cough syrups and lozenges, including some Difflam, Duro-Tuss and Pholcodine Linctus products, should be banned, and the ministry of health agrees.

MORE THAN 723,000 New Zealanders were dispensed opioids in the past year, according to figures released by He Ako Hiringa.

A public safety alert around fake oxycodone pills has been issued following the death of a man in Napier last week

The ACT party’s proposal to reverse the restrictions on pseudoephedrine would see a return to daily burglaries of pharmacies says retired Auckland pharmacist Warren Flaunty

Medsafe has decided to ban pholcodine-containing cough syrups and lozenges but will not be recalling them 

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering banning cosmetics that contain PFAS chemicals

New studies are confirming earlier findings that the side effects of statins are largely “fake news”, says cardiologist Gerard Wilkins

A Medsafe committee says pholcodine-based dry cough syrups and lozenges, including some Difflam, Duro-Tuss and Pholcodine Linctus products, should be banned 

Auckland University researchers want to hear pharmacists’ experiences and opinions on the rescheduling of codeine and its impacts on patients

Legally the supply period for class B opioid prescriptions has now reverted back to a maximum period of one month, instead of three months