Table 2.
Medicines that may be subject to increased demand due to COVID-19 symptom management – prescription medicines.
| Pharmacists are required to limit dispensing of the below prescription medicines to one months' supply at the prescribed dose. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Class | Medicine Name/s (examples only) |
| Asthma/COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) | Short acting B2 agonist | Salbutamol, Terbutaline – inhaled |
| LABA, long-acting beta2 agonist | Salmeterol, Formoterol, Indacaterol, Vilanterol - inhaled (including in combination inhalers) | |
| SAMA, short-acting muscarinic antagonist | Ipratropium - inhaled | |
| LAMA, long-acting muscarinic antagonist | Tiotropium, aclidinium, umeclidinium, glycopyrronium - inhaled | |
| ICS, inhaled corticosterioid | Fluticasone propionate, fluticasone, furoate, budesonide, beclomethasone, ciclesonide, olodaterol - inhaled (including in combination inhalers) | |
| Leukotriene receptor antagonist | Montelukast sodium - oral | |
| Cromones (mast cell stabilisers) | Sodium cromoglycate - inhaled, nedocromil sodium - inhaled | |
| Theophyllines | Theophylline | |
| Anti-IgE | Omalizumab | |
| Anti-IL-5 recepto | Benralizumab | |
| Anti-IL-5 | Mepolizumab | |
| Systemic corticosteroid | Prednisolone - oral, dexamethasone - oral | |
| Adrenaline | Adrenaline | |
| Saline | Saline - inhaled | |
| Cystic Fibrosis medicines | Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein progenitor | Ivacaftor, lumacaftor/ivacaftor, tezacaftor/ivacafto |
| Anti-infectives | Antibiotic | Amoxycillin – oral, Amoxycillin and clavulanate – oral, Doxycycline – oral, Clarithromycin – oral, Cefuroxime – oral, Moxifloxacin – oral, Azithromycin – oral, Ciprofloxacin – oral, Moxifloxacin – oral, Clindamycin – oral, Benzyl-penicillin – injection, Ceftriaxone – injection, Erythromycin – oral, Roxithromycin – oral |
| Influenza medicines | Neuraminidase inhibitors | Oseltamivir, zanamivir |
| Vaccines | Vaccine | Influenza vaccines – injected, Pneumococcal vaccinations - injected |
| Oxygen | Domicillary Oxygen Therapy | Oxygen - inhaled |
Adapted from the Limits on dispensing and sales of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, 2020, Therapeutic Goods Administration, used with permission of the Australian governmenthttps://www.tga.gov.au/media-release/limits-dispensing-and-sales-prescription-and-over-counter-medicines(Access data: 02/07/2020).