Panic-buying prompts new restrictions on prescription medicines.
Australia’s deputy chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, has just announced new regulations which restrict the dispensing of prescription medicines to just one month’s worth of supply.
Kelly said despite there being no significant medicine shortages in Australia, stockpiling and panic-buying was putting a major strain on supply chains.
Pharmacists are also being told to limit purchases of common OTC items such as paracetamol and Ventolin to one per person.
“We have today worked through with pharmacists that they will be required to limit dispensing of certain prescription products to one month’s supply at the prescribed dose,” Kelly said.
He also said pharmacies will be required to place children’s paracetamol formulations behind the counter “to assist in allocating supply”.
More information in tomorrow’s issue of Pharmacy Daily.
