To combat counterfeiting and misuse, prescriptions for two drugs will be changed.
The prescription of medications is closely monitored to avoid abusing them or creating significant dependencies. This Thursday, September 26, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) decided to change the prescriptions for two medications, which are subject to abusive use. As of December 1, they will be subject to a so-called “secure” prescription. Prescriptions written before this date will be valid until their expiry date.
The main characteristic of this type of prescription is that it is tamper-proof. This is reflected in several mandatory criteria. This prescription must contain pre-printed information in blue that allows the identification of the prescribing healthcare professional. A watermark representing a caduceus must also be present. Anti-fraud barcodes are also added and a minimum paper weight of 77g/m² is required. The dosage, frequency of taking and duration of treatment must be written in full.
Some drugs are already subject to secure prescriptions, such as morphine or certain antidepressants. The ANSM has also decided to reduce the maximum prescription period for these two drugs to 12 weeks. After this period, a new prescription will be necessary.
This will concern medications containing tramadol and codeine, whether alone or combined with other substances. These opioids are mainly used as painkillers, but present a risk of addiction. Health professionals have noticed a misuse of these opioids, particularly for tramadol used as a sedative. “It’s a low-cost drug,” regrets a doctor to France Info, who also points out the specificity of these medications, with effects that are not harmless.
According to the latest ANSM report, in 2015, around 10 million French people had received at least one prescription for analgesic opioids. Among them, fraud is frequent: “In 2022, out of around 2,600 falsified prescriptions, 457 concerned tramadol, 416 codeine for its antitussive specialties and 293 for indications against pain”, explained Philippe Vella, medical director at ANSM, to AFP. In addition, in 2022, tramadol abuse led to 14 deaths in France and 6 for codeine.