Nigeria's Pharmacists Council constitutes team of experts to control codeine consumption nationwide

macfranc007 January 01, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Jerrywright Ukwu

- Efforts to stop drug and substance abuse around the nation is gaining momentum

- Issues related to the widespread use of drug and other illegal substances are at the front-burner of public discourse

- The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) is leading the way through its efforts

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN ) says it will constitute Codeine Control and Other Related Matters Working Group (CCRWG) to sensitise the public on the dangers inherent in codeine consumption.

Mr Elijah Mohammed, registrar of the council disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, December 31, 2017 in Abuja.

NAN reports that there has been increasing cases of codeine syrup abuse by mostly youths, with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) contending with raiding and arresting dealers of the illicit drug business in the country.

Drug abuse: Pharmacists Council constitutes codeine control group

The abuse of codeine has been a worrying issue for medical experts in Nigeria. Photo credit: guardian.ng

Mohammed specifically said that the group, which would consist of regulatory bodies and relevant stakeholders, would assist in the implementation of a communication strategy in the pharmacies and the patent and proprietary medicine vendors’ shops in various communities.

The registrar frowned at the large number of Nigerians that are already addicted to some of these medicines damming the consequence.

According to him, the group will aid in enlightening the society on the dangers associated with the abuse of preparations containing codeine and other related drug.

“The strategy will also involve pharma*y screening, monitoring and surveillance and how those addicted can get assistance and be rehabilitated,

“Codeine is an opioid drug similar to morphi*e and has been approved and accessed over the counter in low doses for relieving patients of symptoms associated with dry cough,

“”The codeine in such preparation, usually in smaller doses, serves as a cough suppressant and relieves pain associated with the stress of coughing,

““However, due to its inherent properties when used in high doses over a long period it has been associated with dependence and powerful addictive propensity especially when used for recreational purpose,” Elijah noted.

Mohammed identified the side effects of codeine to include euphoria, apathy, drowsiness, false sense of belonging among others.

He further added that the addict could withstand pains of various degrees and commit crime which in normal circumstances such individuals would not get involved in.

According to him, on the demand side, there is unhindered access to the preparations by the public due to sudden increase in the number of unregulated vendors selling these products all over the country with more impact on Nigerians in northern part.

Elijah urged manufacturers, importers and distributors of these preparations to display more sense of ethical and moral responsibilities in the production, supply and distribution of these products since there was no proven evidence of cough epidemic in the country.

He noted that the council was currently working with technical groups of the Pharmaceutic*l Society of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to institute programs to be driven by CCRWG to help addicts overcome the challenges of addiction. (NAN)

Few weeks ago, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state called on the federal government to totally ban codeine syrups in the country.

Tambuwal made the call while speaking at a Senate Rountable on drug abuse held in Kano as part of the measures to address the medicine use crisis in the country with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

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