2018 Prescription drug changes and implications for Drug and Alcohol policies
On February 1st, 2018 codeine became a prescription-only drug in Australia. This includes advertised brand names such as Panadeine, Panadeine Forte, and Nurofen Plus.
What this means is that no over the counter medications purchased in Pharmacies or Supermarkets will contain codeine or opiates. This includes painkillers and cold and flu tablets.
This may have implications for many workplace Drug and Alcohol testing policies, specifically for declared medications.
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