Comparison of timing of selected medicine switches across countries up to and including 2013.

<p><b>X</b> = not switched.</p><p>a. In early Australian switches timing differed between the States and Territories, the earliest switch date is shown.</p><p>b. Orciprenaline (metaproterenol), a non-selective beta-agonist was switched in the US in 1982, but reversed in 1983 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107726#pone.0107726-Hendeles1" target="_blank">[31]</a>.</p><p>c. Flavoxate is non-prescription in both Australia and NZ, but marketed in neither.</p><p>d. The non-sedating antihistamine switched in the UK in 1983 was terfenadine, which later reverted to prescription medicine following QT prolongation concerns <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107726#pone.0107726-Blenkinsopp1" target="_blank">[3]</a>.</p><p>e. Hydrocortisone 1% with oxytetracycline (but not alone) has long been available without prescription in Japan.</p><p>f. Other antibacterial eye preparations have long been available without prescription in these jurisdictions, e.g. sulfacetamide in NZ and Australia, polymyxin and bacitracin in the US, and sulfamethoxazole in Japan.</p><p>g. Tranexamic acid was switched in Australia in 2000 but never marketed as a non-prescription medicine and reverted to prescription in 2007 under Trans-Tasman Harmonization.</p><p>h. Tranexamic acid in Japan was switched at a lower dose, in combination with other ingredients, and for a different indication to the UK (chloasma not menorrhagia) <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107726#pone.0107726-Pharmaceuticals1" target="_blank">[32]</a>.</p><p>i. Oral oxybutynin was previously available without prescription in NZ.</p><p>Note: Medicines are oral unless otherwise specified. All vaccines are injected except for the cholera and travellers' diarrhoea vaccine which is oral.</p><p>Comparison of timing of selected medicine switches across countries up to and including 2013.