The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7346 p481
23 April 2005

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Chloramphenicol changes status; Zoton remains POM

Reclassification of chloramphenicol eye-drops from prescription-only medicine to pharmacy medicine status is to go ahead, it was announced last week. Meanwhile, Wyeth’s plans to switch Zoton (lansoprazole) from POM to P have been halted.

Optrex manufacturer Crookes Healthcare confirmed that the Committee on Safety of Medicines has given the go ahead for the reclassification of chloramphenicol 0.5 per cent eye-drops from POM to P status.

The reclassification process has not been as smooth for Wyeth. The patent on Zoton capsules expires in December. The company had hoped to launch Zoton as a pharmacy medicine in September 2004, giving it at least 16 months market protection.

However, licence delays have meant that it will not be able to do so until December at the earliest, the company said. It has therefore decided to halt plans to launch Zoton as a pharmacy product.