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Australia changes Xanax to schedule 8


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http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/C268D7932FD81954CA257BC800105F8D/$FILE/Alprazolam%20to%20become%20S8-v02.pdf

 

I subscribe to Reconnextion, an Australian watch-dog publication. This morning I had a bulk email  from them referencing how Xanax would soon (Feb 1, 2014) become a Schedule 8 drug. From what I can ascertain, this means there is a higher potential for abuse/addiction and it is rarely administered outside a hospital setting.

 

This could bring prescribers to either switch their patients to another benzo or even be inclined to cut off prescriptions.

 

If our dear Aussies are hearing more, information would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Flip

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Yes, this has been known about for a while, but as I understand it the generics are still available to GPs. I know Xana looked into it and I think that was the route she was going to take. I think a bit of an over-reaction was made to the whole thing. As I understand it, it's a bit like diazepam taking over from valium.
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So some people are still allowed to be prescribed it?

interesting

 

The People that "they" don't want to kill off are continued prescriptions but the people that "they" have been after for years then prescription is cut

 

Conspiracy theory? Yep

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I do not know the intricacies of the Xanax decision that has been made in Australia, because I don’t take Xanax. However, I’m not sure what conspiracy you are talking about. This issue has been discussed at length in another thread, and managed to get heated at times. This is a quote from it.

 

I found a link.

 

http://www.shpa.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=SHPA/ccms.r?pageid=14

 

MANUFACTURERS' ALERTSThe following is information that SHPA has received from manufacturers of medicines, such as alerts regarding supply problems, discontinued items etc. that may be useful to SHPA members.


Xanax to be discontinued - 17 October 2013Pfizer has advised pharmacists in this letter that the Xanax brand of alprazolam tablets will be discontinued from 1 Decemebr 2013. The decision is a commercial one, generic brands of alprazolam will still be available

- See more at: http://www.shpa.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=SHPA/ccms.r?pageid=14#sthash.LALZkmhF.dpuf

 

 

 

 

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Hi Flip,

 

 

There is no conspiracy!!!!

 

 

 

Yes finally our TGA has  ruled a schedule 8.  I have read the letter released by Pfizer to Dr's many  months ago.  In essence it said was, Pfizer saw the writing on the wall and pulled out of our market.  Australia is small business compared to the rest of the world.  At the end of the day they are a drug company and it is all about the money.

 

 

Back in the 90's the same Act was passed on Clonazepam/Rivotril/Klonopin. This drug is seldom prescribed and rarely turns up on the street these days.  It takes many years for drugs to get through our TGA and it is the same practice in reverse to have them removed.  From what I have been told Ativan will be the next to be lobbied for schedule 8.

 

 

Regarding the prescribing Xanax, what schedule 8 means in Australia is Drs will have to do more paperwork and jump through more hoops to prescribe it and needs to be dispensed from a registered pharmacy much like Methadone.  Not only is the patient monitored but the prescribing Dr will be too, as the subtle shift to no longer prescribing benzos continues in Australia.  New Drs and those who keep up with their training are taught never to prescribe benzos in the first place.  "Do not initiate, Taper and Terminate" !!!!!!! Is the catch phase!!!!

Eventually benzos such as diazepam and midazolam will only be prescribed in life saving circumstances in a hospital/clinic.

 

Those who "choose" to stay on the drug will have find a Dr who is licensed and willing to continue prescription as they are now obliged to offer and support the cross the Valium and tapering process.

 

How do I know all of this????? I work with one of the most prominent Alcohol and other Drug Dr's in Australia, who is very active in the support and help for those addicted to benzos.

 

 

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Wow Towards. Australia is much more advanced then the USA. Big changes. These drugs are given out by doctors in the US simply by asking for it. It is shameful....
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Thanks Toward. I agree with Jazzy about your country being more evolved than most. This is exactly the kind of thinking we need in every country.

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation. The doctor you work with sounds pretty amazing!  : let's clone him and infiltrate the rest of the world.  ;D

:smitten:

Flip

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[a0...]

Hi Fliprain and Jazzy,

 

 

Yes my Dr is gold I dont know what I would have done with out her!!!!!  She is also very spiritual which is rare in the orthodox medical profession. I wish we could clone her  :)

 

 

From what I have learnt on this forum Australia is far more evolved than the rest of the world.

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Hi Flip,

 

 

There is no conspiracy!!!!

 

 

 

Yes finally our TGA has  ruled a schedule 8.  I have read the letter released by Pfizer to Dr's many  months ago.  In essence it said was, Pfizer saw the writing on the wall and pulled out of our market.  Australia is small business compared to the rest of the world.  At the end of the day they are a drug company and it is all about the money.

 

 

Back in the 90's the same Act was passed on Clonazepam/Rivotril/Klonopin. This drug is seldom prescribed and rarely turns up on the street these days.  It takes many years for drugs to get through our TGA and it is the same practice in reverse to have them removed.  From what I have been told Ativan will be the next to be lobbied for schedule 8.

 

 

Regarding the prescribing Xanax, what schedule 8 means in Australia is Drs will have to do more paperwork and jump through more hoops to prescribe it and needs to be dispensed from a registered pharmacy much like Methadone.  Not only is the patient monitored but the prescribing Dr will be too, as the subtle shift to no longer prescribing benzos continues in Australia.  New Drs and those who keep up with their training are taught never to prescribe benzos in the first place.  "Do not initiate, Taper and Terminate" !!!!!!! Is the catch phase!!!!

Eventually benzos such as diazepam and midazolam will only be prescribed in life saving circumstances in a hospital/clinic.

 

Those who "choose" to stay on the drug will have find a Dr who is licensed and willing to continue prescription as they are now obliged to offer and support the cross the Valium and tapering process.

 

How do I know all of this????? I work with one of the most prominent Alcohol and other Drug Dr's in Australia, who is very active in the support and help for those addicted to benzos.

Alprazolam

A guide for consumers

What is alprazolam?

Alprazolam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. It is used for short- term relief of anxiety or for treatment of panic disorder. It is a prescription only medication.

Common brands include Xanax®, Ralozam®, Kalma®, and Alprax®. To learn more you can read the Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) available at www.ebs.tga.gov.au.

Changes to alprazolam prescribing

From 1 February 2014 alprazolam will become a Schedule 8 (S8) medicine in all Australian States and Territories. This step has been taken due to the growing level of misuse of alprazolam and concerns for the safety and wellbeing of those who take it.

What is a Schedule 8 medicine?

Schedule 8 medicines have a high risk of abuse and addiction. They have extra legal restrictions on how they are stored, prescribed and dispensed.

How will these changes affect you?

For most patients, you should notice little change. You will still be able to receive alprazolam for valid medical conditions. There is no change to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) funding.

Prescribing

Your medical practitioner must inform the Health Department if prescribing alprazolam for each patient who requires a prescription for a long period. Only one practitioner (or medical practice) can prescribe for a patient at the same time.

Prescriptions

Alprazolam prescriptions may not be written on the same prescription form as other medications. If you are prescribed other medications they must be written on a separate prescription to alprazolam. Prescription repeats must remain at the one pharmacy and may not be dispensed early unless instructions are provided by the prescribing doctor. Alprazolam prescriptions are valid for six months. These rules apply from 1 February 2014, regardless of when the prescription was written.

Dispensing

The pharmacist must confirm any handwriting on Schedule 8 prescriptions and may need to contact your prescriber. Alprazolam must be stored in the pharmacy safe and extra records kept. Owing prescriptions for Schedule 8 medicines are not permitted.

What should you do?

Talk to your medical practitioner before 1 February 2014 to see if alprazolam is still the right treatment for you. If so, you will need to discuss how to ensure that you have continued medicine supply under the new rules.

Pharmaceutical Services Branch

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I know I will be banned from here, having spent several years observing this site for my own research has now served it's purpose. This is a dangerous place to be when tapering off of any benzodiazapines. There is no argument that they are addictive and not easy to come off.

 

It's not the Drs nor the Pharmaceuticals Companies responsible for anyones addiction to these drugs. Did anyone force any of you to take these drugs? where they shoved down the back of you throat? NO!!!! Everyone had a choice to or not to. Seems like it was to!!! So don't blame the world for  your problems. As for the taper education here...If it wasn't so funny it would be rather sad.

I will let you know if I need some Valium *****!!!!

 

 

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

 

 

Ronnie!

 

I am glad this forum has been helpful to you in some way.  Sorry if you now  feel it is not the right forum for you. For members wanting to withdraw from these meds, It really is a wonderful place for support.  I don't understand why you are so angry! I am not banning you, you are entitled to your opinion.

 

I have noticed some of your comments have been far from supportive and not welcome here on the forum.  Please refrain from posting these types of abrasive and uncaring remarks

 

•Be polite towards, and respectful of, your fellow Buddies. We do not tolerate attacks upon fellow members.

Rules and guidelines:

 

Magrita

 

 

 

edit: removed personal info from quote

 

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Flip (and anyone else interested):

 

It's a bit funny really that this is not newsworthy here in Australia. I first learnt about the rescheduling many months ago. Here on BB. Th eversion of events was very alarmist. I questioned the pharmacist at my usual pharmacy and she hadn't even heard about it. I asked why she thought they had picked on Xanax and no other benzo and she didn't have a clue. I told her I had heard rumours that pharmacies would perhaps have to keep lists of people who were using it. She groaned, rollled her eyes and said, 'Not another one!' I knew more about it than she did.

 

I then asked my long time, conservative, well respected GP who is head of our city's GPs' association and he assured me that it would make no difference to ordinary patients such as myself. I said that hearing information like that without knowing the full story was anxiety producing in itself. He agreed. He said the reason Xanax was chosen was because it seems that it is the heroin users' benzo of choice and it has been implicated in deaths - because of the mix of several drugs and alcohol along with the heroin, I believe. It is the benzo that people abuse on the street more than any other. My husband found a good article about this the other day when we were talking about it. I will get the link from him. He has already gone to bed right now.

 

I am suffering burning mouth syndrome, so last Monday I put forward the idea to my doc  about maybe changing to Klonopin (after he looked it up and found that it was the first suggestion for treatment followed by SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants). A worried look came over his face and he said he didn't think that was a good idea. Klonopin is not schedule 8 (just the normal schedule 4) but it is not generally prescribed as an anti anxiety drug here. It is used for its original purpose as an anti-convulsant. I told my doc that I had looked at the side effect profile of Klonopin and it seemed worse than Xanax. He just nodded.

 

Pfizer stopped providing the 'real' Xanax, which I always bought, even though it was more expensive. I emailed them and they told me they had pulled out of the market for commercial reasons only. There are a variety of other brands of alprazolam. I am now using one called 'Alprax' which is made here in Australia.

 

I am almost due to have a prescription filled so it will be interesting if anything different occurs. The staff in the pharmacy I visit most frequently know me. I have been going there for decades. My husband taught the daughters of the owner who is a a pharmacist. When he was still working there he used to know me and my young children. I remember he was the first one I told I was having contractions in my fourth pregnancy, as I dropped in to pick up Ventolin for one of my other kids on the way home, before I went into hospital. It's quite a family affair!

 

In the days when I was told I would be on Xanax forever, I didn't like it but just thought I would have to put up with it. I used to make drug addict 'jokes' when I picked up my 150 x 2mg prescriptions. I was only using 1.5 - 2mg per day but the doc prescribed them that way to make it less expensive for me. It didn't make me use more. He knew me so well and knew I would always tell him if I took extra. I think that will be stopped by the new regulations and after seeing how much some people on here have taken, I am glad.

 

Thank you for posting the info, Ronnie. I think the crux of this situation is found here:

 

For most patients, you should notice little change. You will still be able to receive alprazolam for valid medical conditions. There is no change to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) funding. So the price won't go up!

 

I'll drop back in here after getting my prescription filled and let you know if anything was different.

 

Those who "choose" to stay on the drug will have find a Dr who is licensed and willing to continue prescription as they are now obliged to offer and support the cross the Valium and tapering process.

 

I'll ask my GP about this and also show him that link:

 

I'll ask if he has attended anything like this.

 

We had a big discussion about the whole issue last year and he didn't mention it. He keeps very much up to date.

 

Xana

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Ronnie has removed 2 of his posts. shame , he does not stand up for what he said. ;)

:-X

 

good idea :laugh:, lets forget it , just to let you know Toward is a friend of mine

and i just won't have it. right ?

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