Growing concerns about persons abusing some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, in particular cough syrups, has one pharmacist calling for those items to be sold only in pharmacies.
Former president of the Barbados Pharmaceutical Society, Paul Gibson, is urging the Government to seriously consider the removal of cough syrups from gas stations and supermarkets shelves and have them sold in pharmacies only. He is contending that such a move would allow pharmacists to monitor the use of those non-prescription drugs, which he said some people have been using to get high.
He explained that there are persons who have been influenced by what they are seeing on television from overseas and have been experimenting with common OTC drugs, and mixing them with other substances, to create potent cocktails.
“We are experiencing the copycat effect, I call it, and we have been seeing them mix over-the-counter drugs, products that contain substances like codeine and different antihistamines, which are readily available, with alcohol and that creates a buzz.”
He added, “It is something that pharmacists in Barbados are aware and mindful of. So if it is that we see someone coming into our pharmacies for specific medications – I don’t want to call any specifically because I don’t want them to go on the shelves and start picking them up – but if we see them coming in for product X today, tomorrow and the day after, we as pharmacists are aware that likely represents an issue and we would deny a person the ability to purchase that product if we suspect that they are abusing the product.”
Gibson explained that like illegal drugs, use of these products in ways they were not intended can result in addiction, and have just as harmful an effect on the body. The pharmacist said these concoctions can impair people’s judgement and even cause hallucinations.
He is therefore adamant that there is a need to get a handle on the situation, noting that by having no or few restrictions on these OTC drugs allows persons to fly under the radar and purchase them easily.
He also noted that placing restrictions on OTC drugs is not new, and has been done in many countries across the world.
The pharmacist also expressed concern about the use or overuse of OTC drugs by those who have been diagnosed with other health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.
“A person may have a cough or congestion and buy an over-the-counter cough syrup, and be unaware that it can have interactions with their routine medication. So we have some people who are doing it with a level of intentionality, but then we have some persons who are becoming high accidentally,” he stated.
Meanwhile, touching on the medicinal cannabis industry, Gibson said so long as medicinal cannabis is dispensed under the care of the pharmacists and there is collaboration with doctors, he does not expect any major challenges with people abusing that drug.
“I am happy that the products will be dispensed by pharmacists only, because pharmacists are accustomed to working with drugs like codeine, morphine, pethidine and psychotropic substances. Pharmacists have a high level of comfort in managing and ensuring that patients receive their medication adequately, and would ensure there are no drug interactions, especially if people are on antidepressants for example. And we are aware that cannabis slows down the metabolism of some drugs and speeds up the metabolism of some drugs, and we know how to manage those types of circumstances,” he stated. (JRT)