FDA to regulate allergy & cough medicine to prevent misuse

BANGKOK, 29 July 2015 (NNT) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new regulations to keep a closer watch on sales of allergy and cough medicines to prevent misuse among drug addicts.

The regulations stipulate that pharmacists on duty at drugstores have to record allergy and cough medicine sales, as well as the names and other personal information of their customers for tracking by the FDA. The announcement can be downloaded from department's website.

The FDA’s latest drug control plan is aimed at preventing drug abuse among teenagers. A recent survey discovered that some drug addicts mix allergy syrup and cough medicine with pain relievers to induce euphoria.

Apart from the stricter allergy and cough drug sales requirements, the FDA has expanded its inspection of drug factories to cover the entire production, in order to prevent a leak of active ingredients for drug abuse.


-- NNT 2015-07-29

anyone knows what is needed to make these euphoria inducing mixes? :-)

The last time I bought cold medicine in America some 7 years ago, I had to show my US ID and sign a form as one of the chemicals can be extracted and used to make meth.... lovely.

Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant, and Dextromethorphan are primary targets. The second is a cough suppressant but also a synergizer for other opiates. These two would likely be the core drugs prone to secondary abuse. Previously, as an example, Lomotil was abused as it has anti diarrhea properties. They then tried to limit abuse by adding atropine. Later, they invented non opiate based Imodium and the former is pretty much gone now. These first two drugs are keenly abused in the West. I will not say how but I do think a bit of restriction is not too much to prevent children and dealers from pushing such drugs.

Pseudoephedrine has been outlawed from non-hospital pharmacies in Thailand for several years now.

It used to be available OTC from regular street pharmacies. But for the past several years, it's only available by doctor's prescription from hospital pharmacies.

And IME, the doctors are somewhat reluctant to even prescribe it these days -- despite it probably being the best nasal decongestant available.

Unfortunately, the ingredient can also be used in the manufacture of meth.