Changes to Codeine Availability
From February
2018, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has made the decision that all
products containing codeine will require a prescription. This includes many of
Australia’s most commonly used painkillers.
While this reduces
some options for pain relief, Capital Chemist can assist you with many other
effective products to treat short-term pain that do not require a prescription.
The reason the TGA
made this decision is because codeine comes from a class of medications called opioids,
and there are risks for long-term use of codeine. The negative effects of using
codeine for pain relief longer than three days includes constipation, nausea, a
reduced effectiveness due to your body building up a tolerance to the
medication and there is even the risk of addiction from long-term use.
The TGA’s actions
will help to ensure that patients with chronic pain are more closely monitored
by their doctor, allowing patients to focus on managing their pain, restoring normal
function and minimising side effects for those patients using long-term
medications for pain relief.
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