Pholcodine

Following a safety investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), 55 products containing pholcodine are being canceled from the Australian ...

The TGA's investigation followed a review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommending the withdrawal of marketing authorizations for these products in Europe. Pholcodine has been used in a wide range of over the counter pharmacy medicines to treat non-productive (dry) cough, particularly in syrups and lozenges. In addition, while surgical facilities may ask about which prescription medicines a patient is taking, they may not ask about over the counter products."

Cough syrups, lozenges, and cold and flu medicine containing a cough suppressant known as pholcodine are being recalled from pharmacies, the Therapeutic ...

"The decision to remove pholcodine from the market is based on strong scientific evidence, including several studies that have shown a clear link between the use of pholcodine and an increased risk of anaphylaxis," Dr Hopkins said. "Pholcodine is a cough suppressant that works selectively on the cough centre in the brain to control and help stop coughing," University of Melbourne research fellow Dr Elena Schneider said. "It has also been used in combination with other active substances in products that treat the symptoms of cold and flu," the TGA said.

The cough medicines contain the ingredient pholcodine which is the subject of the safety concerns. Pholcodine is an opioid medicine used since the 1950s in ...

“It is difficult to reliably predict who may be at risk of anaphylaxis during anaesthesia and some patients may not know if they have taken pholcodine medicines recently,” TGA head John Skerritt said in a statement. When pholcodine is combined with medicines used during general anaesthesia there is an increased risk of an anaphylactic reaction, the TGA said. The cough medicines contain the ingredient pholcodine which is the subject of the safety concerns.