Sask.’s pharmacy college considers anathema on non-prescription codeine products

Saskatchewan’s regulatory physique for pharmacists is eyeing a anathema on a sale of non-prescription codeine products in pharmacies. 

Codeine is a narcotic found in pills and cough syrup used to soothe amiable to assuage pain, according to a anxiety beam from a Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals. 

It can also be taken in multiple with other drugs to boost a effect. 

Under sovereign drug rules, low-dose codeine drugs are those that don’t enclose some-more than 8 milligrams of a drug,  and contingency be churned with during slightest dual other ingredients. These drugs contingency have warning labels.

Tylenol No.1 is an example. 

These forms of drugs are regulated as “exempted codeine products,” and in many of Canada are available from pharmacies but a prescription. 

But that could be changing in Saskatchewan. 

College expects final preference in entrance months

In a Apr 2018 newsletter, a college pronounced a legislature recently discussed a availability of these products. 

“In response to a opioid crisis, developments in other provinces, flourishing member concerns over injustice of these products and new information demonstrating small if any healing benefit, Council concluded in element to anathema a sale of these products from pharmacies,” it reads. 

“This means that we will contention a due regulatory bylaw amendment to stakeholders for conference before finalizing this decision.”

Reached on Tuesday, a college declined to yield an talk on a matter. 

However, it pronounced a subsequent step is to deliberate with stakeholders with a devise to make a final preference in a entrance months. 

The regulatory college for doctors in Saskatchewan has already affianced a support to making codeine products available through medication only. 

Health Canada deliberation change to medication status

Health Canada is also mulling identical changes when it comes to entrance to codeine medications. 

Last November, it published a regulatory notice that it was deliberation creation a change so that all pills and cough syrups containing codeine would need a prescription. 

“The Department is now reviewing a comments received and it will use these comments to determining how to ensue with any intensity altered with honour to low-dose codeine,” reads a matter from a agency.

As of February 1, 2016, a College of Physicians and Surgeons in Manitoba altered a regulations so people need a medication to obtain products like Tylenol No. 1.  

Saskatchewan’s pharmacy college pronounced in an email to CBC News that the matter of medication standing is underneath consideration and no preference has been done nonetheless as to where it will tumble underneath drug schedule. 

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-pharmacy-codeine-ban-1.4711297?cmp=rss