Medicine company bids to get pseudoephedrine out from behind pharmacy counters
Pharmaceutical company Reckitt Benckiser has applied to Medsafe to move pseudoephedrine from behind pharmacy counters to open shelves. The company argues that the drug is no longer a primary precursor for local methamphetamine production and that easier access would benefit consumers.
Why it matters
This proposal challenges long-standing drug control policies and could significantly change how common cold and flu medications are accessed by the public.
Pseudoephedrine is available as a restricted medicine from pharmacies, meaning it is not stocked on open shelves. Photo / 123rf
A pharmaceutical company wants the cold and flu drug pseudoephedrine out from behind the counter and back on pharmacy shelves.
Reckitt Benckiser has applied to drug regulator Medsafe to make the medicine easier to purchase.
The medicine – a precursor for manufacturing methamphetamine or P – was no longer a threat in its retail form because criminal gangs imported their raw ingredients in bulk, Reckitt said in its application.
Pseudoephedrine is available as a restricted medicine from pharmacies, meaning it is not stocked on open shelves.
People who want to buy it have to ask a pharmacist, who decides if it is suitable for them before providing it.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in