Manama: Qatar has banned all medical products containing dextropropoxyphene, because it says the substance has harmful side effects.
Dextropropoxyphene is used as a painkiller and can cause drowsiness, headaches, changes in mood, skin rash, hallucinations, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. It is also said to be addictive.
All the pharmacies and hospitals in the country have been asked by the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) to recall products containing the substance, whether or not it is combined with other products, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported.
This move follows numerous reports about the dangerous side effects of the substance. An overdose of dextropropoxyphene can lead to serious problems including hypotension, convulsions, coma, drowsiness, respiratory depression and circulatory collapse.
Dr Aisha Al Ansari, the director of the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department at the SCH, said. "The SCH is keen to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines sold in the country.”
Sources from the pharmaceutical industry told The Peninsula on Saturday that medicines containing dextropropoxyphene were not commonly prescribed in Qatar because of their side effects. “Very few pharmacies here are selling these products. They can be mostly found in hospitals,” said a source.
