Tramadol Is A Prescription Only Medicine In Nigerian And Not A Control Drug

Tramadol is a strong painkiller. It's used to treat moderate to severe pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury. It's also used to treat long-standing pain when weaker painkillers no longer work.

Tramadol

Tramadol is an opioid analgesic and opioid activity is the overriding contributor to its pharmacological effects. Abuse and adverse events of tramadol are similar to those of other opioid analgesics.

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Tramadol has mild side effects when taken according to prescription. Tramadol may be habit forming, especially with prolonged use. Tramadol may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially during the first 24 to 72 hours of your treatment and any time your dose is increased.

Typical daily dosage may be increased by 50 mg as tolerated every 3 days to reach 200 mg/day (50 mg 4 times a day). Some reported a maximum of 500 mg/day.

The cheap opioid painkiller is meant to be used to treat moderate to acute pain. But, like most opioids, it is addictive - although just how addictive is a matter for debate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Tramadol is generally thought to have a "low potential for dependence relative to morphine". But the abuse of the drug in Nigeria is alarming. It was available over the counter (OTC). There was no control. Not until the national agency for food and drug administration and control (NAFDAC) realised the damage it is doing.

Tramadol Ban In Nigeria

Under a 2018 Nigerian government policy, Tramadol is a restricted pharmaceutical product used to treat severe pain, and can be administered only through prescription by medical professionals. Still tramadol continued to wreak havoc in the lives of many Nigerian as it was smuggled into the country. The abuse continues but at a lower scale.

Read Also: Pain Management Using Medicine Approach

Tramadol has long been at the heart of Nigeria’s opioid crisis, with a 2019 UN report ranking it the country’s second most consumed drug after cannabis. But tramadol is not a control drug. The WHO argues that the drug is still very important in treating certain conditions like cancer pain. "If it's scheduled (controlled), it becomes difficult to move it from one country to another."

This means the drug is not yet a poison and it is not compulsory to include it in the poison cupboard or record it in the poison book. It is not a ban drug as it can be legally bought from a hospital and community pharmacy only with a valid prescription from a medical personnel.