Guild Welcomes Cold Medicines Reclassification

Guild Welcomes Cough And Cold Medicines Reclassification

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) has welcomed Medsafe’s move to restrict the sale of cough and cold medicines containing the cough suppressant, dextromethorphan, and the decongestant, phenylephrine. These medicines will be reclassified to pharmacy-only for children under 12 years of age.

These changes are in line with recommendations made to the Health Minister by the Medicines Classification Committee and Medsafe. They follow concerns about the safety of these medicines in children and are similar to changes being made or considered in other countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom.

The reclassification of these medicines means parents will be more informed when choosing medicines for their children as they will receive accurate advice and education from their community pharmacist. “We are trained to assess the patient’s condition and recommend safe and effective treatments,” says Guild President and pharmacy owner, Ian Johnson.

“It is vital cough and cold products are not just picked off a supermarket shelf and given to a child. Community pharmacists ensure patients receive the right medicines for the right reason. It is important that a cough is diagnosed and treated appropriately. In addition, phenylephrine is not always the most appropriate treatment for some patients.”

This restriction will take place from 1 May 2011.

ENDS

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