When codeine was up-scheduled in pharmacies, it was no longer available over-the-counter and now requires a prescription from a doctor.
This change has led many patients to ask what options are left for acute pain management, and how effective those options actually are.
The main alternatives available are paracetamol, anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, and combinations of these agents.
These remain the key options used in place of codeine for short-term pain relief.
In practical terms:
Comparative research into oral analgesics for acute pain has examined how different commonly used medications perform against each other.
This includes studies comparing paracetamol, ibuprofen, combination therapy, and codeine-containing medicines, using measures such as number needed to treat (NNT) and overall pain relief outcomes.
In these comparisons, combination therapy using paracetamol and ibuprofen is included among the highest-performing options assessed for acute pain.
Even after the up-scheduling of codeine, effective options remain available for acute pain management.
Paracetamol, ibuprofen, and their combination continue to be the main alternatives used in practice, supported by comparative evidence in acute pain research.