Codeine-containing drugs will become prescription drugs

Codeine is an opioid whose analgesic effect is based on the fact that it is converted to morphine in the body. Therefore, even with higher doses of codeine, intoxication can be achieved and it is addictive.

If you look at the data of the last ten years on the use of over-the-counter pain reliever tablets containing paracetamol, you can see a clear trend - the use of paracetamol monopreparations is on a continuous upward trend, while the use of paracetamol combinations remains at a relatively modest level. In 2021, monopreparations of paracetamol accounted for 84 percent of the use of all painkillers containing paracetamol. It is estimated that last year 15,500 Estonian residents used paracetamol daily in its permitted daily dose, i.e. three grams. There were fewer than 2,800 daily users of combinations of paracetamol and codeine. The calculation has been made considering the defined daily dose, which in the case of paracetamol is three grams per day. If the drug is taken in a higher dose, including for abuse, the actual number of users is lower by that amount.

The statistics prepared by the Medicines Board are based on the reports of drug wholesalers and cover the entire Estonian drug market.

In Australia, all codeine-containing drugs were classified as prescription drugs in 2016, and subsequent studies showed a 50 percent drop in opiate- and codeine-related poisonings. In France, in 2017, all codeine-containing drugs were classified as prescription drugs. This is a rather exceptional step, because in normal practice, prescription drugs tend to become over-the-counter drugs in smaller quantities, but not very often.

Sales licenses for tablets containing codeine have been valid since 1997, and there are three over-the-counter medicines containing codeine in Estonia.