Ministry regulating drug use
Published:Sunday | May 8, 2011 | 12:00 AM
What is pseudoephedrine?
A pharmacist who works for a local drug-distribution company in Jamaica told The Sunday Gleaner that she is mandated to submit a regular report on the quantities of the drug received to the health ministry's chief dangerous drug inspector.
"We have to do a report and give to the Ministry of Health because they want to regulate the quantity that comes into the country," she said.
Asked if she has noticed a spike in the sales of the meds containing the stimulant, the company pharmacist said it would be difficult to provide an answer without first analysing the sales data because the products in question "normally do well".
At the heart of the problem is an FDA concern that unscrupulous people in the United States and sections of South America have been purchasing prescription and some over-the-counter medications to extract the pseudoephedrine.It seems the illegal cooking of meth has washed up on to Jamaica's shores, and local authorities are probing a link between the shortage of the meds in Jamaica and the illicit drug usage.
"It is wide. I know the NIB (National Intelligence Bureau) is on to them. There might be so many clandestine labs about the place," said Coral Clarke, a pharmacist attached to the Ministry of Health's Standards and Regulations Division.
When contacted, police personnel at the NIB referred our news team to the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Senior Superin-tendent Warren Clarke, head of the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division, did not return our call.
Meth among club-goers
According to Coral Clarke, there is reason to believe that meth is being abused in Jamaica as the police have reported seeing nightclub-goers behaving in a manner that suggests they are under its influence.
"Either it is being brought into the country, or it is being manufactured here. There seems to be a problem, (but) I don't know how severe it is," Clarke said. She pointed out that the health ministry classifies meds containing pseudoephedrine as a 'controlled drug'.
"We are aware that people may be using it for illicit purposes for the production of illegal drugs. That's what pseudoephedrine is usually used for (the production of meth and cocaine)," she said.
As part of its policy, the health ministry monitors the movement of these meds, and sales data on these drugs are sent overseas to its international partners. "We report on this item internationally, and how much is used per quarter," she said.
When contacted on Friday for the quarterly reports to establish if there has been a spike in the sales of these drugs, Clarke said she would not be able to provide them because of other work-related pressures.
The government pharmacist explained, however, that the national quota on drugs containing the substance is determined based on the estimates provided by the pharmaceutical companies that import the products.
The public-sector pharmacist contends that some Jamaicans would get involved for the quick cash. "It's a money-making thing," she said.
Regulated sales
In the meantime, the Government has been trying to clamp down on easy access to the meds. "The sales are regulated. These meds are not sold over the counter. A pharmacist has to intervene in the purchase to ensure that the person is suitable, and that no large quantities are sold to any one person," the company pharmacist explained.
Pharmacists have to act as gatekeepers, she added. "It is sold at the discretion of the pharmacist. You will have to look at the case and make a professional assessment."
Verna Edwards, the chief dangerous drug inspector in the Ministry of Health, who liaises with the companies that import the meds containing the substance, is on vacation leave.
When contacted on Friday, Gloria Gibbs, registrar at the Pharmacy Council of Jamaica, told The Sunday Gleaner that the regulatory body had not received any reports of the existence of clandestine labs in Jamaica, but said she could not say there were none in the country either.
At the same time, Dr Ellen Campbell Grizzle, director of information and research at the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), told The Sunday Gleaner that Jamaica has learnt its lessons from the meth epidemic that broke out in Middle America. "We have been very aggressive in our prevention work in that area," she said.
Campbell Grizzle provided another possible reason for the shortage of prescription meds containing pseudoephedrine. She said they were in short supply because many international manufacturers have removed the substance from their cough and cold preparations. She pointed out that countries like New Zealand have banned drugs containing pseudoephedrine. "Pharmacists have been proactive and pre-emptive. As long as our pharmacists remain vigilant, we shouldn't have an epidemic," Campbell Grizzle said.
What is pseudoephedrine?
Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant used to relieve nasal and sinus congestion. It is an active ingredient in some cough and cold preparations. It is classified as a precursor chemical as it can be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The Pharmacy Council of Jamaica has classified pseudoephedrine as a List 2 drug. The List 2 classification means that the product can be sold over the counter but with the advice and supervision of a registered pharmacist.
In pharmacies, pseudoephedrine-containing products are stored with the pharmacist behind the dispensing counter and are not placed on shelves in the general shopping area.
Information on the use of pseudoephedrine as a precursor chemical in methamphetamine production has been presented to registered pharmacists in continuing-education seminars. In recent times, several cough and cold preparations have been reformulated to remove pseudoephedrine and include phenylephrine instead.
- Valerie Germain, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica