Tighter Controls On Cold And Flu Remedies Help Fight Against Class A drugs

Cold and flu remedies containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine will remain as pharmacy (P) medicines after tighter controls were found to minimise the misuse of these ingredients in the illegal manufacture of Methylamphetamine (crystal meth).

Following a public consultation in 2007, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) advised that these medicines should only be available in the pharmacy in reduced pack sizes and with tighter controls on their sale.

The CHM advised these changes were to be introduced with the view to reclassifying them to prescription only (POM) status in 2009, unless the risk of misuse was contained.

A Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) review on the impact of the tighter controls revealed no new reports of the misuse of these drugs in the past year. Pharmacies have also seen a 25 per cent drop in the number of pseudoephedrine tablets or capsules being sold.

MHRA director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, Dr June Raine CBE, said she was pleased the measures taken had been successful in containing the risk of misuse and were helping to protect public health.

"The tighter controls we initiated with the full co-operation of pharmacies and manufacturers are proving successful in supporting the safe and effective use of these products, and provide an additional safeguard in the fight against crystal meth," she said.

"However, we cannot be complacent. The MHRA and its stakeholders will continue to monitor the situation to ensure these items are sold and supplied safely and for the correct purpose."

SOURCE: MHRA