POM-to-P switching

Codeine linctus to be reclassified as a prescription-only medicine

While codeine linctus is effective for long-term dry cough, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said “misuse and abuse can have major health consequences”.…

MHRA will take a ‘more proactive approach’ to reclassification, says chief executive

June Raine told delegates at an event held on 12 December 2023 that a 5% reduction in medicine prescribing through reclassification could save the NHS £1.4bn each year.…

RPS says codeine linctus should be made a prescription-only medicine, in response to MHRA consultation

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says reclassification will make it easier to monitor codeine linctus use, because it will be recorded in GP systems.…

MHRA consults on reclassifying codeine linctus as a prescription-only medicine

The Commission on Human Medicines previously said that codeine linctus is being used as an ingredient of 'purple drank', an illegal recreational drink that has been popularised through social media and music.…

Exclusive deal for Boots as sildenafil becomes P medicine

Boots UK strikes two-week deal with Pfizer to exclusively sell sildenafil over the counter after its reclassification from a prescription-only medicine to a pharmacy medicine.…

Sildenafil to be reclassified to P medicine

Sildenafil is to be formally reclassified from a prescription only medicine to a pharmacy medicine, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has announced.…

MHRA expresses concerns over drugs sold online

The Medicines Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency has met with the National Pharmacy Association to discuss concerns that community pharmacies are breaching legislation covering the online sale and supply of medicines in the UK.…

Dovonex psoriasis ointment now available without prescription

Dovonex psoriasis ointment (50mg/g) will now be available through pharmacies without a prescription following approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.…

MHRA recommends that sildenafil is made available over the counter in the UK

Sildenafil — the prescription-only medicine branded as Viagra for the treatment of erectile dysfunction — could become a pharmacy (P) medicine if government proposals go ahead.…

New Zealand pharmacists will soon be able to dispense OTC oral contraception

Pharmacists in New Zealand will soon be able to dispense certain types of oral contraceptive to women without a prescription.…