To get codeine, you need a doctor's prescription. You can buy codeine-containing medications from a pharmacy. Here you will find more information on what codeine is, what it's used for, how it works, its risks and alternative treatment options. Australia has become the latest country to ban over-the-counter sales of medications containing the opioid painkiller codeine. The new regulation, which will come into effect on 1 February 2018. List of up-scheduled codeine containing products; Sponsor Codeine-containing products previously available over-the-counter that have been up-scheduled to prescription medicines (S4) Painkillers containing codeine will no longer be available over the counter from 2018, the federal drug regulator has announced. Over-the-counter cold and flu medicines that are changing their ingredients. From 1 February 2018, no cough, cold and flu medicine available over the counter will contain codeine. From 1 February 2018, no cough, cold and flu medicine available over the counter will contain codeine. As of today, it will be more difficult for people around Australia to buy painkillers containing codeine over the counter. A spike in the number of people abusing analgesics containing codeine. Australia's drug regulator is considering a proposal to make about 150 codeine products prescription-only medicines, meaning they could no longer be freely purchased over the counter at pharmacies. WITH the Australia-wide ban on over-the-counter codeine products less than a month away, pain specialists are warning those who use drugs like Nurofen Plus to talk to doctors about how they’ll. Controversial. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has recommended that all over-the-counter medicines containing codeine be rescheduled to become prescription-only medicines. Many codeine-containing products previously available over-the-counter are still available with a prescription. See the Current list of up-scheduled codeine containing products. Products containing codeine derivatives, pholcodine, dextromethorphan, and dihydrocodeine are unaffected by the decision to up-schedule codeine.