OTC drugs - are they as innocent as we think?

OTC drugs - are they as innocent as we think?

Oral presentation

Nikolay Daskalov
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia

A study carried out on two OTC drugs demonstrating the possibility of drugs which are not defined as causing a dependence to cause or to be used to produce a source of opiate (codeine) in pure form are the aims of the study. Opiates are used as antitussive agents and, in combination with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, provide a strong synergistic effect. The legislation does not stop such drugs but the purpose of this report is to show that responsibility of the pharmacist is not to selling chemical substances, he have to provide a medical service. Considering whether it is virtually possible to obtain pure codeine from OTC drugs and demonstrate methods for extracting it, evaluating the complexity of the task and the dangers created. Questioning how strictly regulated such products should be. Drugs are irreplaceable part of our lives, and the question of where is the balance in therapy selection has been a worrying issue for more than a century, no matter how much we want to think that everything is clear.