Australians insomniacs aged over 55 will no longer need to look overseas to source a sleep-inducing drug without a prescription. Melatonin is now able to be sold over the counter in Australian pharmacies after last year garnering the approval of the nation's medicines regulator. But leading pharmacist John Bell said people's natural supply of melatonin depletes as they age and can lead to poorer sleep. As former national president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Mr Bell indicated purchasing unregulated melatonin products could compromise user safety. The new over-the-counter availability is only a short-term treatment for people over 55, and must be ticked off by a pharmacist.

Source: Daily Mail June 01, 2021 21:36 UTC