Identification Needed for Medication with Codeine

LazyLion

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South Africans will need to produce identification when buying medication containing codeine, Clicks said on Saturday.

"As of 2 January 2014, patients will be required to supply key personal details including identity numbers, when they purchase a range of popular over-the-counter medications...." the retailer said in a statement.

Codeine, an active ingredient found in a range of flu and pain medication, was proven a successful ingredient but addictive when not used properly.

Nicola Brink of the Self-Medication Manufacturers Association of SA (Smasa) said it was difficult to regulate the dispensing of codeine.

"We also want to protect patients from misuse and abuse of codeine-containing substances."

Brink was aware the initiative could be met with resistance.

"The only alternative is to move all medicine containing codeine to a higher schedule which would require a doctor's prescription...[which] would place a further burden on [the] healthcare system," she said.


Source : Sapa /mom/gq/ma
Date : 05 Oct 2013 16:16
 
Not really news, cos Dis-Chem has been doing this for some time now.

But it might be worth discussing.
 
Identification needed for medicine with codeine

South Africans will need to produce identification when buying medication containing codeine, Clicks said on Saturday.

"As of 2 January 2014, patients will be required to supply key personal details including identity numbers, when they purchase a range of popular over-the-counter medications...." the retailer said in a statement.

Codeine, an active ingredient found in a range of flu and pain medication, was proven a successful ingredient but addictive when not used properly.

Nicola Brink of the Self-Medication Manufacturers Association of SA (Smasa) said it was difficult to regulate the dispensing of codeine.

"We also want to protect patients from misuse and abuse of codeine-containing substances."

Brink was aware the initiative could be met with resistance.

"The only alternative is to move all medicine containing codeine to a higher schedule which would require a doctor's prescription...[which] would place a further burden on [the] healthcare system," she said.

Source : Sapa /mom/gq/ma
Date : 05 Oct 2013 16:16
 
Just Clicks, or everywhere?

Fairly silly, as the OTC codeine stuff has negligible amounts of codeine in it anyway.
 
copacetic said:
Just Clicks, or everywhere?

Fairly silly, as the OTC codeine stuff has negligible amounts of codeine in it anyway.
Click to expand...

Dis-Chem have been doing it for months now... but it's easy enough if you have a Dis-Chem card.
You just hand it and they swipe it.

The amount might be 'negligible' but Syndol has always been pretty addicting and highly abused in SA.

Personally, I have actually switched back to using Aspirin with Caffeine.
 
That is very dangerous stuff, as people get addicted to the codeine, and then take in amounts of paracetamol that can kill them.

I don't actually know if this is silly, now that I think about it - Depends on what they do with the information, and if they can in fact help people with their addiction. It's no help if the people can just go get the stuff somewhere else.
 
copacetic said:
That is very dangerous stuff, as people get addicted to the codeine, and then take in amounts of paracetamol that can kill them.

I don't actually know if this is silly, now that I think about it - Depends on what they do with the information, and if they can in fact help people with their addiction. It's no help if the people can just go get the stuff somewhere else.
Click to expand...

Seems to be across the board at all pharmacies. We'll have to see how well it is enforced.
 
Its actually a form of self-regulation to avoid a move to the "nanny state". Basically the manufacturers are wanting to put in place mechanisms to avoid the finding that the small dosage codeine containing OTCs don't get scheduled up and out of being OTC.
 
well if a statute requiring pharmacies to keep identification information - copy of ID and proof of address - kicks in it should be called
the Pharmacutical Information on Transactions Act :D
 
copacetic said:
That is very dangerous stuff, as people get addicted to the codeine, and then take in amounts of paracetamol that can kill them.

I don't actually know if this is silly, now that I think about it - Depends on what they do with the information, and if they can in fact help people with their addiction. It's no help if the people can just go get the stuff somewhere else.
Click to expand...

So we need to find meds that has codeine WITHOUT the paracetamol for a safer fun experience
 
Garyvdh said:
Hmmm, I don't remember giving them a copy of my ID. Just the ID number on the application form.
Maybe that has changed though.
Click to expand...

Yup but they will probably do as the banks do and make a copy even though it's not required. Fica only wants proof of ID, not a hard copy.
 
Unless they legally require your ID number according to some statute, then the POPI Act will probably make it illegal to collect it. I'm with daveza - my ID number is too valuable to data brokers and other criminals to hand over to strangers, especially when there's a "soon" to enacted Act designed to protect my data.
 
what is propain then? i used to take syndol then i saw propain and it seemed to have have a lot more use than syndol.
 
Celine said:
what is propain then? i used to take syndol then i saw propain and it seemed to have have a lot more use than syndol.
Click to expand...

I'm not too familiar with that brand... and I can't find the info online.

There are quite a few generic copies of Syndol around like Lenapain or Adco-Dol.
It might just be another generic form.

Edit: OK, found it... very close to Syndol.

Each Propain tablet contains:

Paracetamol BP 400mg
Codeine Phosphate BP 10mg
Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP 5mg
Caffeine BP 50mg.

Each Syndol tablet contains:

Paracetamol BP 450mg
Codeine Phosphate BP 10mg
Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride BP 5mg
Caffeine BP 30mg.
 
Last edited:
I was under the impression that the stuff we get here doesn't contain all that much codeine anyway?!?

Unless this is aimed at people trying to extract it. Perhaps it somehow fits in with this Krokodile business.
 
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