By Róise Collins
CONCERNS have been raised about the increasing use of painkillers containing codeine in Ireland.
Speaking to the Donegal News Margaret O’Doherty of Raphoe Pharmacy said she believes that those using the drug are being vilified in an attempt to distract from the real problems facing our failing health service.
The increasing number of patients on trolleys, leading to the cancelling of elective surgeries in hospitals across the country is a much more acute problem, Ms O’Doherty said.
She stressed that the majority of the people who are getting prescriptions for codeine are in pain and suffering.
“The reason that they are suffering is because we have a dysfunctional health system.
“Codeine is not the answer to that problem but demonising people who have to take it because they are suffering certainly won’t help.
“It is very distressing for these people who are being portrayed as addicts, some of them have a dependency on it but it is certainly not their fault,” she added.
She is concerned about the continuous cancellation of elective surgeries and how this may be exacerbating the problem.
Ms O’Doherty said she knows of patients who have had their hip replacements cancelled on numerous occasions.
Agony
“If you are waiting for a hip replacement, you are in agony. Alright it may not be life threatening but you are going to need strong pain relief.
“This is the only option that doctors and pharmacists have because they can’t leave people suffering.
“That is a big part of the problem,” Ms O’Doherty added.
Speaking to RTÉ earlier this week Donegal GP and Coroner, Dr Denis McCauley echoed the same concerns. He said that waiting lists for orthopaedic surgery are so lengthy that they are creating “functional codeine addicts”.
Last year over one million prescriptions for the drug were issued, and in the last decade prescriptions for the drug through the three main public drug schemes have increased by over 22 per cent.
Ms O’Doherty said these figures can’t be looked at in isolation as there are many factors driving up sales.
This includes population growth, an increasingly older population and the recent pandemic.
“One of the main symptoms of Covid is a prolonged cough and codeine is an effective cough suppressant, so a lot of people with long covid are taking codeine,” Ms O’Doherty explained.
Ms O’Doherty also acknowledged the issues regarding addiction and how both are interconnected.
“Obviously there are concerns because it is an addictive drug, and people become dependent on it- there is no doubt that is happening.
“But addiction is a complex illness so demonising those who have become dependent on it through no fault of their own will not help.
“All of these people are ill, whether they are in pain or they are addicted and we don’t have the services to help either of those groups.
“Until all the other problems in our health service are sorted out, I don’t think we are going to see this one sorted either,” Ms O’Doherty said.
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