PAIN-KILLER ADDICTION PROBLEM MOUNTING

THE NUMBER of people becoming addicted to popular, pain-relieving
drugs is increasing and appears set to become a major challenge for
the Health Services into the next century.

Pharmacists around the country reveal a dramatic rise in certain sales
as more and more of their customers buy excessive amounts of an array
of codeine-containing products, laxatives and anti-histamines, all
with addictive properties. No prescription is required to obtain the
drugs.

In the north-west, concerned pharmacists have approached addiction
counsellors in the region with a view to establishing a co-ordinated
strategy to tackle the problem.

While there is a surprising lack of data available, experts and those
working in the field of addiction agree there is a worrying pattern of
increasing misuse.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland advises its members to conduct
their business in accordance with the specific protocol drawn up by
the individual pharmacy. ``Pharmacists have a duty to the customer to
ensure they are administering the appropriate doses. If that means not
serving large volumes of a particular substance to them, then so be
it,'' the spokesperson said.

A professional working in one busy Limerick drug treatment centre
revealed that in the last 12 months there had been a noticeable
increase in the number of patients who admit abusing
codeine-containing substances.

In another clinic, in the west of Ireland, an addiction counsellor
pointed out that codeine rarely presented as an isolated addiction but
was often linked with alcohol abuse in what is termed as ``cross
dependency.''

Another pharmacist operating in a small border town revealed that
codeine-containing products, in both tablet and cough mixture form,
topped the list of abused substances.

``If you are the only pharmacist in a town it is easier to keep an eye
on things, but in a busy town where there could be nine or 10
pharmacies, an addict can get away with buying large volumes of a
product unnoticed,'' he said.

Pharmacists are also alert for excessive purchases of laxatives, which
are often used by people with eating disorders; paracetamol and
aspirin-containing products and antihistamines, all of which have the
potential to be abused.

Research currently being undertaken by the School of
Pharmacy at Queen's University, Belfast is focusing on the
greater input pharmacists can have in the management of
the problem of over-the-counter drug misuse and abuse.
Said Prof. James McElnay: ``Rather than refusing a
customer, the pharmacist could talk to them and try to
motivate them into changing their behaviour.''