The Pharmacy Guild is set to demonstrate a prototype real-time monitoring and clinical decision support tool it has developed to combat the misuse of combination analgesics containing codeine as it goes on the offensive against proposals to reschedule codeine products as prescription only.

Calling the proposed scheduling changes “a blunt instrument”, Guild executive director David Quilty said they would be ineffective at addressing concerns about abuse and could have unintended adverse consequences such as encouraging more consumption of higher strength doses in larger packs.