Medications like Nurofen Plus, Panadeine and Codral cold tablets will be affected by an Australia-wide change

The government’s move comes as Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed 68 per cent of the 668 overdose deaths in 2013 were related to pharmaceutical opioids

Advocacy group Painaustralia has been encouraging people who rely on medications containing codeine to see their GP in preparation for the change.

Chief executive officer Carol Bennett is calling for better education for people who are dealing with chronic pain.

"We know that reliance on codeine and other opioid-based drugs for treatment of chronic pain is not effective. We also know these drugs are associated with significant unwanted side effects, risk of overuse, dependence and addiction,” she said.

“The community need to be more aware about the dangers of codeine use, and why it is ineffective for chronic pain management.

“In recent years, opioids have become the first line treatment for chronic pain, leaving many Australians relying on these drugs to manage their pain.

“People in pain need better information and access to long term effective treatments.”

The number of Australians who misuse pharmaceuticals is rising, with the number of deaths caused by these drugs responsible for more deaths than illegal drugs, according to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

“Over the past decade, there has been a substantial rise in the number of deaths involving a prescription drug, with drug-induced deaths more likely to be due to prescription drugs than illegal drugs,” AIHW spokesman Matthew James said.

The survey also found people living in remote areas were almost twice as likely as those living in major cities to have recently used a pharmaceutical for non-medical purposes, he said.

According to figures released by the AIHW, there were 550 deaths from opioids in 2016. Benzodiazepines – or tranquilisers – were responsible for a further 663 fatalities, out of the annual total of 1808 drug-related deaths.