HEALTHSOCIAL DEV'T NEWS

Increasing Incidents of Tramadol Abuse: Pharmacies to Blame –Philips Foundation

The Chief Executive Officer for the Philip Foundation, a subsidiary of the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America, CADCA has blamed the recent abuse of tramadol on licensed pharmaceutical shops who according to him, have exhibited gross irresponsibility in controlling the sale of the drug, leading to its subsequent abuse by the youth.

According to Mr. Philip Boateng who made the remarks in an interview with Rite News, though tramadol is found in most pharmacy shops in the country, managers of these pharmacies are not insistent on prescriptions before selling out the drug to buyers.

There is a growing trend of tramadol abuse among Ghanaian youth in some parts of the country. Recent surveys have shown the drug is also used among market women, drivers and in some cases, students.

The abuse of Tramadol, a pain relief drug, according to medical experts, function like heroin and causes psychotic problems as well as damages vital organs in the human body.

Mr. Philip Boateng maintains that though the abuse of the drug is a relatively recent development, the Philip Foundation together with CADCA is in alliance with the Narcotics Control Board to beef up educational campaigns to control the abuse of the drug.

“The abuse of tramadol is a developing subject and our coalition in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Board has started some education to help curb the situation,” he said.

The Philips Foundation Chief Executive Officer however expressed exasperation at government’s seeming apathy towards supporting drug prevention programs.

He laments that such lethargy in approaching a nagging issue as drug abuse complicates the fight against the canker.

“Government support for drug prevention programs is very little making and thus making the fight against drug abuse such as fully supporting people who want to quit drugs and earn a living, difficult,” Mr. Boateng lamented.

In Ghana, some laws are very weak especially regarding the prescription of drugs which is the major factor influencing the unrestricted sales of tramadol which consequently leads to its abuse, he said.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drugs Authority is joining forces with a number of sector agencies to curb the illegal distribution and sale of the drug.

Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko had earlier said that her outfit is in partnership with the pharmacy council to boost their surveillance by a joint task force to be formed in the coming days to champion that agenda.

Source: Joyce Bedeley/ritefmonline.org/jbedeley9357@gmail.com

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