Center Set To Pull 3 Types Of Codeine-Based Syrups Off The Shelf Amid Drug Abuse Concerns: Report

In an attempt to prevent the abuse of codeine-based medicines in the country, the Indian government is reportedly planning to ban select preparations. Codeine is an opioid-based analgesic primarily used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhoea and is also one of the natural plant alkaloids found in opium extracts.

However, these medicines for a long time become one of the key elements for drug abuse and are also used for recreational purposes.

Against Easy Drug Abuse

In their latest attempt to find a solution, the Modi government has allegedly decided to ban the three different preparations of codeine – pholcodine along with promethazine, codeine with chlorpheniramine and codeine with chlorpheniramine along with menthol, reported News18.

These categories also have a variety of syrups, including Codistar, Ascoril C, Tossex, Tedykoff and Planokuf.

Reportedly, on the basis of numerous politicians to the health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to ban cough syrups, the health ministry had instructed the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) back in March to "conduct a review and submit a recommendation".

Centre Planning Strict Actions

The Centre's internal findings indicate that Indian states where these preparations are high consumption include Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal.

According to an official, the combination of codeine with triprolidine is beneficial for cancer and TB patients. However, this combination of codeine with triprolidine is also used for the manufacturing of cough syrup brands, including the top-selling Pfizer's Corex T and Abbott's Phensydyl, which are more often abused and used for recreational purposes.

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