Cough medicine sales to be restricted

File photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Sales restrictions on some cough and cold medicines for children will come into force on May 1 next year.

Medicines regulator Medsafe said that from that date cough and cold medicines, containing dextromethorphan and phenylephrine, for children under 12 years of age will only be sold in pharmacies.

Medsafe group manager Stewart Jessamine said products containing those ingredients would only be available in supermarkets from May 1 if they were re-labelled for use in adults and children over 12 years of age.

All non-compliant products would be removed from supermarket shelves from that date.

Dr Jessamine said re-classifying products containing dextromethorphan and phenylephrine to pharmacy-only meant parents would be able to get professional advice on how to use the medicines safely before buying them for their children.

"These changes are in line with the recommendations made to the Health Minister by the medicines classification committee and Medsafe following concerns about safety of these medicines in children and are similar to changes being made or considered in other countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom," he said.

If parents were unsure of the best way to treat their child, they should seek advice from their general practitioner or a healthcare professional.

"I would advise parents not to use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under six years of age," he said.

The decision to restrict sales of the medicines was announced last month after the committee and Medsafe warned the Health Ministry over the medicines' safety and efficacy.

There was no evidence that they worked in children and there was evidence of rare but severe reaction in children under six years of age, the ministry said.

Last month Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the move was disappointing when there was no evidence of any safety issues in New Zealand or overseas.

"Parents who have been quite happy in the past to buy these products from supermarket shelves will be hit hard in the pocket. Some cough cold remedies currently available in supermarkets are 50 - 147 percent more expensive in pharmacies for the same product," she said.

- NZPA