OTC codeine-based painkillers being misused: Report

An ITV Tonight investigation has reignited concerns over the widespread misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) codeine-based painkillers in the UK, revealing a systemic "pharmacy hop" tactic where individuals circumvent purchase limits by buying single packs from multiple outlets. The report, which surveyed 2,000 people, highlighted that one in five users exceeded the recommended three-day guidance, prompting urgent calls for increased vigilance from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This latest exposé intensifies the long-standing tension between consumer access and public safety, challenging the robustness of existing safeguards championed by industry bodies like the PAGB, which insists on limited pack sizes and mandatory addiction warnings. While the PAGB emphasizes that these P-Medicines require pharmacist supervision for responsible sale, the "pharmacy hop" demonstrates a critical vulnerability, pushing GPhC Chief Pharmacy Officer Roz Gittins to demand stronger professional judgment and clearer information sharing, ideally via a proposed single patient record system. The immediate fallout will see pharmacy teams under heightened scrutiny, with the GPhC expected to reinforce guidelines on refusing sales and identifying individuals requiring support for dependence. Policymakers face renewed pressure to evaluate the efficacy of current regulations against evolving misuse tactics, potentially accelerating the development and implementation of integrated digital health records to provide pharmacists with crucial patient history and curb unchecked self-medication.