19 October 2017 - Medical and health consumer advocates have published an open letter to state and territory Health Ministers, warning that any changes to the TGA's plan to make codeine prescription-only will put health and lives at risk.

In the open letter, experts reiterate key findings from the TGA’s review of codeine use:

• Codeine is not effective for treatment of chronic (long-term) pain.
  
• There are serious risks of harm associated with codeine use, including death, toxicity and dependence.
  
• There are over-the-counter alternatives available that are a combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol that have been found to be a more effective analgesic than over-the-counter codeine containing analgesics.
  
• Multidisciplinary pain management is the most effective way to treat chronic pain.
  

Read joint press release