The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Codeine syrup

  • Government’s irrational ban of codeine syrup

    Let us assume that the Federal Government places a ban on the eating of beef (cow meat), just as it banned the use of codeine recently. Let us assume the news is made known during a media chat with the Minister for Agriculture, who says that cows have been found as the major cause of conflict between the herdsmen and farmers in every part of the country.

    Let’s assume the minister goes on to stress the importance of eating chicken and goat meat, and advises citizens to avoid eating beef as defaulters will be made to face the wrath of the law. How could we have expected beef traders to react to this announcement?

    Well, the same way the traders of pharmaceutical products expressed their fears in the wake of the ban on codeine would be the same way the traders of beef would express their displeasure over the government’s decision.

    Codeine has not killed half the number of persons killed in the herdsmen-farmer crisis. Let us also assume the government places ban on the sale of alcoholic products, because most alcoholic drink consumers are abusive. We have seen them abusing their wives and daughters after consuming alcohol. Some people even drink alcohol before going to their offices and this leads to their low productivity at work.

    Going by the abuse of alcohol, has the government banned alcoholic drinks’ consumption since it cares for the health of the citizens and does not want them to harm themselves in anyway?

    The Federal Government has been acting like it is capable of making a better choice for us. We witness abuse of alcohol daily, but the government has not deemed it fit to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks. The other day, news filtered in that a drunken father raped his daughter. But, the government did not come out to say ‘we cannot allow these kinds of actions to continue in our society’. Neither did they say anyone caught selling and consuming alcoholic products will face the wrath of the law.

    We all seem to flow well with the above narratives because the government derives huge profits from the breweries.

    In the face of corruption, the government seems to lose the ability to make an informed decision. And instead of finding a lasting solution, we behave like the ostrich and look for the easy way out. We can see how ridiculous the above actions would be if they are carried out. But, we witnessed arbitrariness in the case of codeine abuse; maybe so the world will think the government of Nigeria is being proactive and act very fast to ‘curb’ the abuse of codeine.

    Codeine has not wrecked half the lives, and destroyed properties which alcohol or the herdsmen have ruined. Codeine is an active drug used in the treatment of a dry cough and cough non-responsive to other expectorating agents. It is classified as a Prescription Only Medicine (POM).

    It should be dispensed only with a prescription. But, because of weak regulation in Nigeria, many pharmacies do not follow this rule. The drug has a large margin of profit; hence it is sometimes sold without a prescription.

    The AAP News and Journals Gateway published: “In adults, codeine and dextromethorphan have been shown to suppress both artificially induced and disease-related cough, mainly through central nervous system mechanisms. A linear relationship has been shown to exist between a codeine dosage in the range of 7.5 to 60 mg/d and a decrease in the frequency of chronic cough.”

    Cough syrups containing codeine can make people get high, giving them some false confidence just like what alcohol does. And it is abused just like alcohol is daily abused. But when alcohol is abused, the individual is blamed, when codeine is abused, the pharmacist is accused, instead of the abuser.

    The ban of codeine will not stop its abuse; codeine will still be available, but only sold on the black market. Abusers will get it, but at a higher cost. They will become more desperate to get this drug and can do worse for it than before.

    Instead of banning, we should learn to make our institutions work.We should learn to take up our regulatory bodies on their negligence. Instead of   banning codeine, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) should be queried.

    NAFDAC should be blamed for not properly monitoring the production of the syrup, while PCN should take the blame for its negligence in overseeing the pharmacies. What should have been done would be to prosecute those who sold the drugs without a prescription and withdraw or suspend their license. Then, every pharmacist will consider either doing what is right or facing the risk of losing his hard-earned licence.

    Let’s face the facts, almost every drug is abused, tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine and you name it. Should then be a ban on these drugs because they are abused? There is always a better way of doing things, and it is never to ban the drug. The solution is to tighten regulations and build up proper counseling. This is the more reason there is a need for consultant pharmacist. Pharmacists need to be allowed to use their skill in the hospital and bring a stop to drug abuse. Codeine is for cough. Let’s leave it like that, if anyone has an addiction, he should get a therapist.

    • Ezekiel is a young pharmacist graduated from University of Benin

  • Government’s irrational ban of codeine syrup

    Let us assume that the Federal Government places a ban on the eating of beef (cow meat), just as it banned the use of codeine recently. Let us assume the news is made known during a media chat with the Minister for Agriculture, who says that cows have been found as the major cause of conflict between the herdsmen and farmers in every part of the country.

    Let’s assume the minister goes on to stress the importance of eating chicken and goat meat, and advises citizens to avoid eating beef as defaulters will be made to face the wrath of the law. How could we have expected beef traders to react to this announcement?

    Well, the same way the traders of pharmaceutical products expressed their fears in the wake of the ban on codeine would be the same way the traders of beef would express their displeasure over the government’s decision.

    Codeine has not killed half the number of persons killed in the herdsmen-farmer crisis. Let us also assume the government places ban on the sale of alcoholic products, because most alcoholic drink consumers are abusive. We have seen them abusing their wives and daughters after consuming alcohol. Some people even drink alcohol before going to their offices and this leads to their low productivity at work.

    Going by the abuse of alcohol, has the government banned alcoholic drinks’ consumption since it cares for the health of the citizens and does not want them to harm themselves in anyway?

    The Federal Government has been acting like it is capable of making a better choice for us. We witness abuse of alcohol daily, but the government has not deemed it fit to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks. The other day, news filtered in that a drunken father raped his daughter. But, the government did not come out to say ‘we cannot allow these kinds of actions to continue in our society’. Neither did they say anyone caught selling and consuming alcoholic products will face the wrath of the law.

    We all seem to flow well with the above narratives because the government derives huge profits from the breweries.

    In the face of corruption, the government seems to lose the ability to make an informed decision. And instead of finding a lasting solution, we behave like the ostrich and look for the easy way out. We can see how ridiculous the above actions would be if they are carried out. But, we witnessed arbitrariness in the case of codeine abuse; maybe so the world will think the government of Nigeria is being proactive and act very fast to ‘curb’ the abuse of codeine.

    Codeine has not wrecked half the lives, and destroyed properties which alcohol or the herdsmen have ruined. Codeine is an active drug used in the treatment of a dry cough and cough non-responsive to other expectorating agents. It is classified as a Prescription Only Medicine (POM).

    It should be dispensed only with a prescription. But, because of weak regulation in Nigeria, many pharmacies do not follow this rule. The drug has a large margin of profit; hence it is sometimes sold without a prescription.

    The AAP News and Journals Gateway published: “In adults, codeine and dextromethorphan have been shown to suppress both artificially induced and disease-related cough, mainly through central nervous system mechanisms. A linear relationship has been shown to exist between a codeine dosage in the range of 7.5 to 60 mg/d and a decrease in the frequency of chronic cough.”

    Cough syrups containing codeine can make people get high, giving them some false confidence just like what alcohol does. And it is abused just like alcohol is daily abused. But when alcohol is abused, the individual is blamed, when codeine is abused, the pharmacist is accused, instead of the abuser.

    The ban of codeine will not stop its abuse; codeine will still be available, but only sold on the black market. Abusers will get it, but at a higher cost. They will become more desperate to get this drug and can do worse for it than before.

    Instead of banning, we should learn to make our institutions work.We should learn to take up our regulatory bodies on their negligence. Instead of   banning codeine, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) should be queried.

    NAFDAC should be blamed for not properly monitoring the production of the syrup, while PCN should take the blame for its negligence in overseeing the pharmacies. What should have been done would be to prosecute those who sold the drugs without a prescription and withdraw or suspend their license. Then, every pharmacist will consider either doing what is right or facing the risk of losing his hard-earned licence.

    Let’s face the facts, almost every drug is abused, tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine and you name it. Should then be a ban on these drugs because they are abused? There is always a better way of doing things, and it is never to ban the drug. The solution is to tighten regulations and build up proper counseling. This is the more reason there is a need for consultant pharmacist. Pharmacists need to be allowed to use their skill in the hospital and bring a stop to drug abuse. Codeine is for cough. Let’s leave it like that, if anyone has an addiction, he should get a therapist.

    • Ezekiel is a young pharmacist graduated from University of Benin

  • Eight held as Customs seizes codeine syrup, others

    GOODS worth over N2 billion were impounded  by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) between July 25 and August 7, Area Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Mohammed Uba, said yesterday.

    He told reporters at the unit’s Ikeja, Lagos command, that 17 assorted vehicles were also seized.

    Eight suspects, the outgoing controller said, were arrested.

    The unit seized 17 posh vehicles with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N384 million.

    Among the vehicles is a MAN diesel truck, registered as XB   286 BEN, carrying 2,748 cartons of DSP codeine cough syrup 100mg (100 per   carton) and 95 cartons of Chaka pain Xtra.

    The truck, it was learnt, was intercepted at Afromedia Estate, by Egbeda junction, near Alaba International Market.

    The Nation gathered it was the second time the unit was intercepting the substance since the Federal Government banned importation of cough syrup containing codeine.

    The substance is valued at N1.1 billion.

    The driver, sources said, on fled on sighting FOU officers.

    “Also, 49 cartons of Tramadol capsules 100mg were evacuated from a warehouse in Ajao Estate, based on information. The drugs will be handed over to National Agency for Food & Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation.

    “Among the seizure was the evacuation of 21 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 1,031kg and four pieces of elephant tusk weighing 29.35kg from a shop located   at Tejuosho market in Lagos, based on information.”

    The Warehouse Operations team, the controller said, was led by AC Mutalib Sule.

    “The occupant of the shop fled and is still at large, but investigation is on towards getting the culprit   arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

    The DPV of the seized  goods, according to the controller, was over N253 million.

    “You will recall that the Minister of State for Environment, Mallam Usman Jibril, accompanied by the CITES Delegates from UN, visited the unit, inspected the previous seizure of such endangered species this year and hailed us for a job well done. The trade on such endangered species is globally prohibited, hence the need for us to fight against such illegality.

    “Also, within the weeks under review, the unit intercepted one Ford Transit bus with engine number XL32452L in Olorunda, Ogun State, conveying 39 sacks and 1,220 parcels of Cannabis Sativa popularly called Indian hemp, weighing 1, 610kg,   concealed with baskets of   fresh tomato, pepper and vegetable. In the spirit of inter-agency relationship, the seized substance will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation. Other seized items include: 17 units of posh vehicles, 1,380 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 1, 126 pieces of used shoes and 140 jerry can of vegetable oil.

    ‘’Among the detained vehicles were seven Toyota Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicles (2015-2018), four Toyota Hiace buses (2017), two Toyota Coaster buses (2017)and four Toyota Camry (2014).

    ‘’Four of the vehicles, investigation showed, were intercepted on Ijebu-Ode Expressway, while 13 were evacuated from Plot 1, Akin Tailor Close, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, based on information.

    “Eight suspects were nabbed in connection with the 25 seizures.

  • NAFDAC reopens Emzor Pharmaceutical firm

    •Firm gives police details on absconded worker      •’We assure Nigerians of quality products’

    Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has been reopened by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    The firm also stated that it had submitted to the police information about its absconded worker that was featured in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documentary, “Sweet sweet codeine”.

    The firm’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Stella Okoli, spoke in Lagos yesterday on the reopening of Emzor Pharmaceuticals Liquid factory.

    Dr. Okoli expressed pain that one of its products – Emzolyn with Codeine, a therapeutic product, made for the relief of a specific illness, has been turned into a substance of abuse.

    She added that the menace of drug abuse is a national concern and everybody should be concerned, adding that all hands should be on deck to arrest the situation.

    She said her company, Emzor, would seek to make relevant and impactful contributions to the multi-agency discussions on the way forward, especially from the limited depiction of rehabilitation efforts represented in the BBC programme.

    “As a parent and especially a mother, I am deeply saddened by the problem of drug abuse and its damaging effect on our children and youths. We follow good manufacturing practice (GMP) here at Emzor, and NAFDAC officials from the investigation and enforcement directorate, conducted an inspection of our factory and were given full access to all the records they requested.  We are happy to announce that after carrying out all necessary due diligence, NAFDAC has now reopened the factory,” said . Okoli.

    The Director-General Duties, Human Resources and Finance, Mrs. Uzoma Ezeoke said the company has built trust among its consumers across the country, and continent based on proper internal regulatory, and professional certifications for manufacturing, and human resources.

    “Every site we operate has GMP certificate issued and every product meets required specifications. The spate of drug abuse is really worrisome. It is a social ill. Many substances are being abused and everybody has a role to play. It is unfortunate that Emzor is in the spectacle among the three companies in the documentary,” said Mrs, Ezeoke.

    Mrs Ezeoke affirmed that all sanctions issued by NAFDAC have been adhered to and it is gladdening that the Liquid factory has been reopened.