Over-the-Counter Drugs
Over-The-Counter drugs (OTC) are usually medicines and easily available to buy from Pharmacists. Some of these products contain codiene which can cause addiction[1].
Addiction
Three patients reported in the BMJ to be addicted to these kind of druges were taking Nurofen Plus, which contains a combination of codeine phosphate - which is an opiate - and ibuprofen. They all had gastrointestinal bleeding, a side effect of excessive ibuprofen use. One of the patients was taking 30 tablets a day - compared to the recommended maximum dose of six. Alone, codeine phosphate is only available on prescription. But it has been available OTC in low doses and in combination with aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen for many years. Another reportedly addictive Over-The-Counter Drug is Solpadiene[2].
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Addictive OTC Drugs
Notes
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- ↑ BBC News, Over-the-counter drug use concern, BBC News, 3-May-2007, Accessed 04-February-2010
- ↑ BBC News, Over-the-counter drug use concern, BBC News, 3-May-2007, Accessed 04-February-2010
