Pain medicine withdrawn

The Medicine Control Council’s decision to withdraw medicines containing dextropropoxyphene (DPP) from the market has been welcomed by health professionals in South Africa.

The decision was made following numerous reports of side effects after using the pain medication, including addiction, irregular heartbeats and alcohol-related deaths.

Approximately a third of all types of pain medication on the market in South Africa contain DPP. The drug has already been withdrawn from US and European markets.

DPP was mainly used for post-operative pain management following gynaecology or orthopaedic procedures. The Department of Health is now advising doctors to use alternative medication, such as a combination of tramadol and paracetamol, or codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen.