The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p127
27 July 2002

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Reclassification sought for P medicine

A reclassification from prescription only to pharmacy medicine status is being sought by Pharma-Global (UK) for a product which has been licensed and marketed as a pharmacy medicine for a number of years despite the fact that it contains a POM ingredient. Vivioptal, a multivitamin and mineral supplement, contains 750µg of adenosine, which is listed in the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997 with no exemptions for pharmacy supply.

In its consultation paper ARM3 (Microsoft Word document), the Medicines Control Agency says that the manufacturer has shown that this amount of adenosine administered orally daily does not meet any of the four criteria for restriction to prescription supply — that a product is likely to present a direct or indirect danger, is subject to frequent or widespread incorrect use, has activity or side effects that require further investigation or is for parenteral administration.