Codeine sales face ban in war on addiction
Victory for Mail on opioid painkillers
PHARMACIES could be banned from selling codeine over the counter amid growing concerns about painkiller addiction.
Health officials are considering making all opioids prescriptiononly, following guidance from the medical watchdog that painkillers ‘do more harm than good’.
Codeine is a highly addictive opioid painkiller. It can be bought without a prescription in the form of co-codamol, when it is combined with paracetamol – or Nurofen Plus, when it is mixed with ibuprofen.
But the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is now considering making all opioid painkillers prescription-only.
A spokesman said: ‘ The MHRA is keeping the safety of over-the-counter products containing codeine under review and will consider other interventions, including the possibility of reclassifying all opioid-based painkillers as prescription only, as necessary.’
Such a ban would be a major victory for the Daily Mail, which has spent years highlighting the danger of addictive prescription pills and campaigning for action to reduce their use.
Opioid prescriptions have soared by 60 per cent in the past ten years in the UK. The problem often arises when patients are given painkillers after an operation and then left on them and become hooked. The NHS says over-the-counter codeine should not be used for more than three days, but there are no laws to prevent repeat buying of low- dose codeine from pharmacies.
Experts welcomed the potential ban, saying it was needed to prevent the country ‘following in the footsteps of America’, where an opioid addiction crisis has led to thousands of deaths. The move follows a ruling by the health watchdog NICE on Monday that doctors should stop doling out painkillers to millions with chronic pain.
NICE said that there was ‘little or no evidence’ that common painkillers including codeine, ibruprofen and paracetamol ‘made any difference to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress’.
The watchdog added that ‘even short-term use of opioids could be harmful for a chronic condition’ and that patients could become dependent.
Eytan Alexander, of the addiction treatment firm UKAT, said: ‘If the MHRA are considering a ban on people being able to buy over-the-counter codeine, there is obviously a reason for this, and it’s ultimately to prevent this country from following in the same footsteps as the likes of America.
‘If there is even the slightest possibility that taking steps like the one the MHRA are proposing which could prevent the UK following suit, then we would welcome this proactive action.’
Last year, the Health Secretary promised action.
Matt Hancock warned of a ‘disturbing’ crisis of over-medicalisation and vowed to end it ‘once and for all’.
It followed a review from Public Health England, which found that 11.5 million patients in England had received at least one prescription in the past 12 months for potentially addictive drugs. The research found that every year more than 5 million Britons are given opioids – with 1.2 million on them for at least 12 months. PHE recommended that guidelines be drawn up to tell doctors when they should intervene to get patients off drugs.