Residents of rural and remote communities in Western NSW are being offered help in adjusting to the ban on over-the-counter products containing codeine from February 1.
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The National Rural Health Alliance, Australia’s peak non-government organisation for rural and remote health, reports that they are “more vulnerable to the potential negative impact” of the ban.
“Long distances, financial factors and lack of available services make it much more difficult for people living in rural and remote areas to access GPs, allied health professionals and specialists,” alliance chief executive officer Mark Diamond said.
“For this reason, we are developing resources to ensure that the seven million people living in rural and remote areas know in advance about the changes and where to go for assistance if they feel they need it.”
The alliance is urging individuals and organisations in rural and remote Australia wishing to receive more information about the planned changes to visit www.ruralhealth.org.au/codeine and add their details to a mailing list.
It reports of its member bodies, including the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, CRANAplus and the Rural Doctors' Association of Australia, working to ensure that healthcare and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas are prepared for the change. The initiative is being funded by the federal government.
The alliance reports that the move to restrict the availability of medications containing codeine was unanimously agreed to by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and is in line with changes in other parts of the world to reduce opiate addiction and overdose rates.