Ranitidine 75mg tablets (Zantac) are to be made available as a general sale list (GSL) medicine in mid-November, according to the manufacturer Glaxo Wellcome. Ms Grace Chu (OTC category manager) told The Journal on October 7 that the product would be available, under the name Zantac 75 Relief, in GSL packs of six or 12 tablets. The 24 tablet pack of Zantac 75 would continue to be categorised as pharmacy-only (P) but current pharmacy-only packs of six and 12 tablets would be phased out by the end of the year.
Advertising would make the public more aware of the symptoms of indigestion and the availability of pharmacists as a source of advice on treatment. She thought it likely that patients who were frequent users of antacids would be most likely to seek advice from pharmacists regarding other remedies, and that these patients were the most appropriate users of Zantac 75 Relief.
Pharmacists would be in a position to recommend the P pack size, if appropriate, or to refer the patient to their general practitioner. This type of monitoring and advice would not be available from other retailers and it was for this reason, Ms Chu said, that Glaxo Wellcome had decided to restrict supply to pharmacies only.