Pharmacy Daily | Cough mixture abuse concerns in WA

PHARMACISTS are being urged to be stringent when dispensing cough mixtures, amid reports that some patients may be abusing the medicines.

Speaking on The West Live yesterday, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Western Australian Branch President, Andrew Ngeow, labelled the misuse of the medicines - known as robotripping - as a "really dangerous practice".

"Quite simply it's the use of cough mixture in higher-than-recommended doses, and it's being used to give a physical and mental high," he said.

"Like all medicines, used well they can help people out immensely, but used incorrectly, whether that's overuse or off-label use like what this is, it's incredibly dangerous."

Ngeow added that "mixed with alcohol and other substances it has all sorts of effects".

He said that the Guild did not have a significant amount of data on the prevalence of robotripping in the state, but noted that "it is certainly something that as pharmacists, we do see in our stores."

Ngeow told host, Ben O'Shea, that under current scheduling rules, patients are required to visit a pharmacy to access cough medications and the pharmacist assesses whether or not the product should be recommended.

"When the pharmacist has a conversation with the patient around what they need it for they then have to determine whether it is being used for the right purposes," he said.

"It would be expected that the pharmacist would refuse sale if there is a belief they are using it for things like robotripping."