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Australian Chief Medical Officer confirms strong basis for codeine up-scheduling
Codeine is no better for pain relief than other over-the-counter medications, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said.
Professor Brendan Murphy believes the decision to up-schedule codeine is ‘about saving lives’. Image: AAP
Evidence shows codeine is largely ineffective for most pain relief, while contributing to significant overuse harms in Australia. Professor Murphy stands strongly by the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) decision to up-schedule codeine from 1 February.
‘This decision is about saving lives,’ Professor Murphy said.
Professor Murphy emphasised that the TGA decision was made in line with the best medical advice and research, including strong evidence that codeine is no more effective for most pain relief problems than alternative options such as paracetamol and anti-inflammatory medications.
‘There are numerous studies that show codeine is not the miracle pain relief drug people think it is and there is compelling evidence of harm caused by overuse and abuse of over-the-counter codeine-containing medicines,’ he said.
Professor Murphy recommends patients affected by the up-scheduling visit their GP to access more effective methods of pain relief and to seek assistance for codeine dependency if necessary.
Dr Milana Votrubec, GP and Chair of the RACGP Pain Management Specific Interests network, agrees with this recommendation. She views the up-scheduling as a chance for people experiencing issues of dependence to get the more holistic help they need.
‘I think it’s a great opportunity for GPs to address problems that have been running under the radar out there in the community,’ Dr Votrubec told newsGP. ‘[The codeine up-scheduling] is basically trying to help people who are doing harm to themselves.’
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