THE NSW branch of the National Party has confirmed its support for Pharmacy Guild proposals which would enable patients to access codeine without a prescription in certain circumstances, once the medication is rescheduled effective from Feb 2018.
NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro said the change would have a heavier impact on rural and regional parts of the state where timely access to doctors is often limited.
Guild national president George Tambassis applauded the NSW Nationals' support for the plan to allow "safe and appropriate access to these medicines to occur without a prescription.
"We all know that simply making these medicines prescription only will not prevent their abuse through doctor-shopping," Tambassis said.
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