Melatonin Drug moved to Schedule 4?

LazyLion

LazyLion

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So I went to Dischem this morning to buy a bottle of 60 Melatonin Capsules (Biogen Brand).
I needed them for an elderly friend who is battling with a little bit of Insomnia.
So I can't find the bottles on the shelf anymore and the lady tells me they are behind the counter now.
So I ask her if I can get a bottle and she says "what for?"
I said "for sleep".
She said, "sorry I can't sell it to your for that!"
I was like WTF? "I've been buying it here for that purpose for years now" :wtf:
She said, "I can only sell it to you for Jet Lag."
I told her that Jet Lag is a sleep related disorder. :rolleyes:
She says sorry, but that's all she can give it to me for.
So I said, "Oh, OK... I'll take a bottle for my Jet Lag then."
She rolls her eyes at me and hands the bottle over.

So when I got home, I contacted Dischem, and asked them what is going on.
They Lady tells me that Melatonin has been moved to a Schedule 4 drug, and I will need a prescription from now on.
She said the Medicine Controls Council has moved it because it has the action of a neuro-transmitter.
So, even though it is completely natural hormone, it is now a controlled drug! :mad:

I'll have to get my Mother in law in the USA to send me some now. :whistle:
 
Just a way for doctors to get richer.
Alcohol has a much heavier sedative effect. Yet you don't need a prescription.
Try to get a calmative on repeat prescription. No luck at GP's. You have to go through Psychiatrist who charge you R750 for a first consultation.
IMO professional service is subject to extreme profiteering in SA and many other countries as well.
People are not just satisfied on getting comfortably by.
They want that regular overseas trips, that beach house. That R500 000 car.
 
http://www.mccza.com/genericDocuments/9.34_Scheduling_matters_Jul10_v1.doc

Yep, she was correct. Above document from the Medicines Control Council:

NEW CHEMICAL ENTITIES ADDED

The following new Chemical entities have been added to the respective Schedules

Schedule 1

...

Schedule 2

...
Melatonin, when used for the treatment of desyncronosis (jet-lag) in doses not exceeding 6mg daily.
...
Click to expand...

...
Schedule 4
...
Melatonin, exept when used for the treatment of desyncronosis (jet-lag) in doses not exceeding
6 mg daily.
Click to expand...
 
But why only Jet-lag? Why not any form of sleep disorder where the person needs to regulate their sleep patterns?
 
I've tried Melatonin tablets on various occasions (east/west travel) with no success. Sleeping tablets FTW.
 
droid said:
Just a way for doctors to get richer.
Alcohol has a much heavier sedative effect. Yet you don't need a prescription.
Try to get a calmative on repeat prescription. No luck at GP's. You have to go through Psychiatrist who charge you R750 for a first consultation.
IMO professional service is subject to extreme profiteering in SA and many other countries as well.
People are not just satisfied on getting comfortably by.
They want that regular overseas trips, that beach house. That R500 000 car.
Click to expand...

I can understand why doctors do not want to give prescriptions for highly addictive drugs for more than a month. Some people abuse it.
It is crazy though what a normal GP asks for a consultation!! Mine is asking R300, where specialists are between R400 and R500.
If you are on discovery, you can apply to have the 3 weeks psychiatric hospitalization converted into psychiatric visits with a psychologist or psychiatrist. Aka no paying them :) I think you get about 12 visits a year.
 
While we can blame this on South Africa it is an international phenomenon. Typically drugs like this get moved to prescription-only or even made illegal either due to media scaremongering or lobbying funded by pharmaceutical companies. Can't have people getting cheap, effective drugs over the counter when there are expensive name brand drugs to be sold. And we certainly can't have adults making their own decisions about whether to put these drugs into their body. In some instances the justification is a tiny handful of people who have harmed themselves. Meanwhile much riskier chemicals remain readily available (because there is big money behind them).

_Hecate_ said:
I can understand why doctors do not want to give prescriptions for highly addictive drugs for more than a month. Some people abuse it.
Click to expand...
That's really irrelevant.
 
noxibox said:
That's really irrelevant.
Click to expand...

I dont see how it can be irrelevant. Doctors have an obligation to their patients health. Yes some ask crazy amounts for consultation which should be more regulated.

People love self diagnosing, if everything was readily available can you imagine how ppl will combine different drugs without knowing the averse effects it can cause by mixing them.

Irrespective if medication is prescription or not, what you pay for them will be the same.
 
_Hecate_ said:
I dont see how it can be irrelevant. Doctors have an obligation to their patients health. Yes some ask crazy amounts for consultation which should be more regulated.

People love self diagnosing, if everything was readily available can you imagine how ppl will combine different drugs without knowing the averse effects it can cause by mixing them.

Irrespective if medication is prescription or not, what you pay for them will be the same.
Click to expand...

How I feel about it is that normal people are punished because some abuse it.
There is very good pain meds available that has lower side effects and treat pain better.
The downside is it make you feel a bit good. Not on a high. You just feel more cheerful.
One doctor at last prescribed this to me and i asked them why they did not before. Turns out some people abuse it.
That pill would have a huge difference in prior years, but i am being punished because others abuse it.
I think it is not the in the doctors right to withold meds to a person they don't know. It is cruel. It is when their own self interests take precedence above a patients which justifiably needs to be treated.

I will as far as to say the state should deschedule some calmatives. Some benzodiazapam has lower side effects than alcohol. Life is hard. People is stressing more and many can't even afford a normal doctor than a psychiatrist. I am not kidding the other day a person i know had to pay R1100 for their first consultation.
 
Last edited:
_Hecate_ said:
I dont see how it can be irrelevant. Doctors have an obligation to their patients health. Yes some ask crazy amounts for consultation which should be more regulated.

People love self diagnosing, if everything was readily available can you imagine how ppl will combine different drugs without knowing the averse effects it can cause by mixing them.

Irrespective if medication is prescription or not, what you pay for them will be the same.
Click to expand...
That some people might abuse a drug has never been a valid reason to schedule a drug such that it requires a prescription. It is generally the case that the insert gives full details about the side-effects and interactions. If you're unsure you can ask your pharmacist or visit a doctor. There are some drugs that have very high risks and it would be reasonable to visit a doctor before taking them. If they don't already the inserts could say "This is a very high risk drug. Do not take without consulting a doctor." Anyone too stupid to read the insert or at least ask their pharmacist, if not visit a doctor, when they can't read the insert or don't understand what it says is stupid. It is invalid to interfere with everyone to protect stupid people from themselves.

The cost is not at issue.
 
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