3 ms·

And, all of this, to avoid selling a little bit of the narcotic codeine. Which was technically permitted to be sold "behind the counter" without prescription,

And, all of this, to avoid selling a little bit of the narcotic codeine. Which was technically permitted to be sold "behind the counter" without prescription, but was made Schedule II as part of cough syrup in the US not long ago. (It used to be Schedule III or IV when combined with homoatropine or promethazine).

Calvin02 3mo ago
100% I wonder if the cost benefit analysis would show that this is still the best policy - I.e. are more people dying because of overdose of acetaminophen than would have from “behind the counter” + controlled acquisition of codeine products. I would also imagine that the compliance / nationwide tracking is now much easier than when the legislation was initially conceived.
- projektfu 3mo ago
  I think it was a mostly innocent bystander, because they decided to put codeine-combination painkillers (Vicodin, etc.) in schedule 2 but wrote it as just opiate combination medicines.
blks 3mo ago
Codeine is still sold in many countries otc, as part of weak pain killer combination or as part of cough medicine.
MrDrMcCoy 3mo ago
I miss codeine cough syrup. It's the only thing that's ever been effective for me, despite my being fully immune to the "fun" aspects of opiates. They do remove pain, coughing, etc, but do not add any sensations or impair normal ones in my case. I've tried most of the gamut in one medical setting or another. There should be a class of drug where the pharmacist gets to decide, based on some registry, whether you get to have something.
- projektfu 3mo ago
  It's still available, I just don't know if it's still available without prescription. It's also gotten more expensive and not as many pharmacies stock it. Really, I find our drug policies so frustrating. They should take all the ineffective phenylephrine products off the market and educate the consumer about asking for pseudoephedrine versions. But I think the ship has sailed and meth is being made with industrial chemicals now, so the restriction isn't as useful as it was. I think it's not a bad idea to have a registry to prevent over-dispensing of opiate cough syrup. It's really an important drug. There are a lot of conditions that cause chronic, lifelong, unproductive coughing. Doctors end up prescribing things that are either more habit-forming or more dangerous.
cykros 3mo ago
Just buy poppy seeds in bulk and make a tea. They wash 'em, but not enough to get all of the opium off the outside. Okay but really maybe don't do this unless you're gonna be careful because I actually have known a guy who ended up with problematic morphine habituation this way. That said, dextromethorphan works just fine on its own (if you take enough -- 2 tsp is nonsense). Why they feel the need to mix in a bunch of other actives is beyond me.

Calvin02 3mo ago

100% I wonder if the cost benefit analysis would show that this is still the best policy - I.e. are more people dying because of overdose of acetaminophen than would have from “behind the counter” + controlled acquisition of codeine products. I would also imagine that the compliance / nationwide tracking is now much easier than when the legislation was initially conceived.

projektfu 3mo ago
I think it was a mostly innocent bystander, because they decided to put codeine-combination painkillers (Vicodin, etc.) in schedule 2 but wrote it as just opiate combination medicines.

blks 3mo ago

Codeine is still sold in many countries otc, as part of weak pain killer combination or as part of cough medicine.

MrDrMcCoy 3mo ago

I miss codeine cough syrup. It's the only thing that's ever been effective for me, despite my being fully immune to the "fun" aspects of opiates. They do remove pain, coughing, etc, but do not add any sensations or impair normal ones in my case. I've tried most of the gamut in one medical setting or another. There should be a class of drug where the pharmacist gets to decide, based on some registry, whether you get to have something.

projektfu 3mo ago
It's still available, I just don't know if it's still available without prescription. It's also gotten more expensive and not as many pharmacies stock it. Really, I find our drug policies so frustrating. They should take all the ineffective phenylephrine products off the market and educate the consumer about asking for pseudoephedrine versions. But I think the ship has sailed and meth is being made with industrial chemicals now, so the restriction isn't as useful as it was. I think it's not a bad idea to have a registry to prevent over-dispensing of opiate cough syrup. It's really an important drug. There are a lot of conditions that cause chronic, lifelong, unproductive coughing. Doctors end up prescribing things that are either more habit-forming or more dangerous.

cykros 3mo ago

Just buy poppy seeds in bulk and make a tea. They wash 'em, but not enough to get all of the opium off the outside. Okay but really maybe don't do this unless you're gonna be careful because I actually have known a guy who ended up with problematic morphine habituation this way. That said, dextromethorphan works just fine on its own (if you take enough -- 2 tsp is nonsense). Why they feel the need to mix in a bunch of other actives is beyond me.