It took Australia longer than the United States and the United Kingdom to realize that codeine, a habit-forming popular opiate, is often abused because of its sedative effects. However, beginning February 2018, the country imposed the much-needed restrictions on codeine medications by changing its status from over-the-counter (OTC) to prescription drugs. The new law thus banned the sale of painkillers such as Panadeine, Mersyndol, Nurofen Plus, generic pain relief drugs and some cold and flu medicines as OTC. Continue reading →

Opioids are among the most commonly abused drugs in the United States. Primarily used for their pain-relieving properties, their continued use leads to the development of physical dependence, addiction and overdose deaths. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there were approximately 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016. It further highlighted that over 20,000 fatalities occurred due to fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids). Continue reading →