Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to raise some concerns that have been expressed to me by constituents in my electorate of the Therapeutic Goods Administration decision to change codeine from a schedule 2 to a schedule 4 good by February 2018. This would actually require that any drug that currently contains codeine no longer be available directly from a pharmacist. It would require someone to go to their doctor to get a prescription. Now, it is true that nobody disputes that there are many risks associated with products that contain codeine. However, what we have to consider are the unintended consequences of such a ban. It will see greater pressure on Medicare and on our healthcare system, and many constituents in regional areas will have to go to their doctor and will have to pay the gap fee. So I would hope that both sides of politics here, rather than nitpick, can discuss this issue with the states and work with the Pharmacy Guild and with the medical professionals to see if we can solve this problem. We don't want the drugs sold over the counter. There is a way that the drug can be dispensed through the pharmacies with real-time monitoring, which will be just as effective but much more cost-effective than the system that is being proposed. (Time expired)

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