Health
Codeine Cough Syrups Made Prescription-Only Due to Addiction Fears
- Codeine linctus will no longer be available over the counter
- Cough syrup used in recreational drink called “purple drank”
Cough syrup with codeine
Photographer: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Cough syrup containing codeine phosphate will become prescription-only in the UK following reports of misuse of the medicine and concerns about patients becoming addicted to the drug.
The medicine for dry coughs, called codeine linctus, has been reclassified by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), following a public consultation that received more than 990 responses from experts, patients and health-care professionals. Reports of abuse of the cough syrup in a recreational drink dubbed “purple drank” began to surface in 2019.