The Pharmacy Guild has held off on plans to shut down the MedsASSIST real-time monitoring system for over-the-counter analgesics containing codeine, saying it had received support from Health Minister Greg Hunt to keep the system running until further advised.

The Guild announced yesterday that it planned to pull the plug on MedsASSIST tonight after a final decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Department of Health to up-schedule OTC codeine-containing products, such as painkillers and cold and flu remedies.