‘Consumers are winners’

THE Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) has touted consumers as “winners” from the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA’s) proposed advertising reform (PD 19 Jan) and new approach to increasing availability of pharmacist-only medicines.

ASMI has announced its support for the TGA’s commitment to change restrictions on the advertising of pharmacist-only (Schedule 3) medicines, and the establishment of a working group that will proactively identify prescription medicines suitable for down-scheduling to pharmacist-only and over-the-counter (OTC) access (‘switch’).

As long-time advocate for relaxing of advertising restrictions around S3 medicines, ASMI hailed the updated AHMAC Scheduling Policy Framework for Medicines and Chemicals which states that the default position for advertising S3 medicines will shift so S3 medicines will be allowed to be advertised unless the Scheduling Delegate determines that there are clear and specific reasons they should not be.

The newly created working group, comprised of representatives from pharmacy, medicine and State and Federal Governments, will advise the TGA on these and several other topics related to medicine scheduling, including identifying candidates for ‘switch’ and new controls for pharmacist-only medicines, particularly those that have been down scheduled.

“ASMI has already done preliminary work in this area and we anticipate being able to add value to discussions on these factors,” said ASMI Regulatory and Legal director Steve Scarff.

“The ASMI Secretariat will be involved with this group at the initial meeting in February 2018,” Scarff added.

He also said ASMI anticipated that the down-scheduling process would be streamlined to encourage more manufacturers to apply for S4 medicines to be switched to OTC.