From February 1, medicines containing codeine will no longer be available without a prescription in a bid to reduce health risks such as opioid tolerance, dependence, addiction, poisoning and death.

But pharmacist Lyndon McLeod of Greta Pharmacy said the initiative could actually have the opposite effect, as people reliant on codeine could obtain prescriptions from multiple doctors without being detected.

“There’s no system,” he said. “You don’t know whether that person has been to another surgery today or yesterday. People who are doing this aren’t going to the same pharmacy.”

Currently, Mr McLeod’s pharmacy uses a system called MEDSassist, which tracks customers’ previous purchases of medicines containing codeine in real-time.

He said in the six months they have had the tool, between seven and 10 people have been refused codeine products due to their history.

But Mr McLeod said pharmacies would have to stop using MEDSassist once the changes come in and honour doctors’ scripts without knowing if the patient had used similar scripts at other pharmacies.

“When we started recording, we could actually identify the people codeine shopping,” he said.

“Other pharmacies could look it up. But now it won’t be recorded.”

Mr McLeod also believes the law changes will mean people who experience acute pain may be left to suffer for longer as they wait to get into the doctor to obtain a prescription.

“I believe that the vast majority of people in our community use these products safely,” he said. “But they’re being penalised because of the people abusing them.

“I think it’s a heavy handed approach.”

Mr McLeod is also concerned that people may turn to alternative over-the-counter painkillers containing things such as ibuprofen and naproxen, which could be dangerous due to existing medical conditions or other medications they are taking. 

“These drugs have their problems too,” he said.

Mr McLeod would like to see a more “common sense” regulation that would allow pharmacists to give people with acute pain a limited three-day supply as well as monitor codeine purchases in real-time.

“[That] will allow pharmacists to identify and help those people who may be misusing the products, while at the same time allowing the vast majority of people who use the products appropriately continued access without a prescription.”

The Mercury approached NSW Health for comment on the law change, but did not receive a response prior to deadline.