• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Health secretary Thérèse Coffey gave leftover prescription drugs to a poorly friend – is this advisable or legal?

October 19, 2022
in Article
0

Thérèse Coffey, the health secretary for England, has admitted to giving her leftover antibiotics to friends and family who were feeling unwell. This led to the British Medical Association issuing a statement, describing her actions as “not only potentially dangerous, but also against the law”.

In the UK, medicines fall into three groups that determine how people can access them. “General sales list” medicines, such as small packets of some painkillers or simple cough mixtures, can be bought over the counter in supermarkets and other shops.

“Pharmacy medicines”, such as travel sickness tablets or stronger painkillers, are sold in pharmacies when supervised by a pharmacist. And “prescription-only medicines”, such as antidepressants and antibiotics. These drugs can only be prescribed by a doctor or other health professional with prescribing rights. Antibiotics are prescription-only medicines.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK has previously said that anyone supplying a prescription drug to someone for whom the drug is not intended is breaking the law. However, the agency says that a prosecution is highly unlikely.

In the UK, the Medicines Act 1968 governs the control of medicines, including their supply as they relate to commercial transactions or services. However, it does not include social sharing, which might explain the MHRA’s observation.

Social sharing, though, can sometimes lead to a prosecution. An even stronger type of prescription medicine is a “controlled drug” named in the misuse of drugs legislation. Controlled drugs are particularly addictive and harmful when misused or diverted for illicit use. For this reason, there are stringent rules on how they are prescribed, supplied, stored and even destroyed.

Some controlled drugs even require travellers to have a letter proving the medicine was supplied to them, or a Home Office licence when bringing them into the UK. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 it is an offence to unlawfully supply a controlled drug or be improperly in possession of it.

Antibiotic resistance

But the medicines reportedly discussed by Thérèse Coffey were antibiotics – not controlled drugs. Antibiotics are prescription medicines, and sharing them raises other concerns.

Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or stopping them from spreading. Overuse and misuse of these drugs over the years have led to the creation of “superbugs”, which are strains of bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called antibiotic resistance one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development. So to prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance, the WHO asks people to only use antibiotics when prescribed by a certified health professional and never share or use leftover antibiotics. This is at odds with the scenario attributed to Coffey and potentially explains the strength of BMA’s response.

In a recent letter to the Times, Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, wrote:

Patients should always complete their course of antibiotics and never share them with others as this is unsafe and can increase antibiotic resistance. Our members are promoting an “antibiotic amnesty” campaign to remove unwanted antibiotics from circulation, so if the secretary of state does indeed possess any leftover medicines she is welcome to drop them off at her local pharmacy, where they will be disposed of safely.

Other risks

Aside from the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance, prescription medicines are usually strong drugs that need close oversight. This means a suitably qualified person has to make sure they are the right drugs, given at the right dose for the person intending to use them.

Shared medicines could be unsuitable because of someone’s existing health condition (such as being pregnant, breastfeeding, or having a kidney or liver injury), the potential for the medicine to cause side-effects, an allergic reaction or become habit forming. Shared medicines might also interact with the recipient’s other existing medicines.

Side-effects such as drowsiness become even more important when considering laws that make it an offence to drive after taking certain medicines, especially if these have not been prescribed for the driver.

During the current cost of living crisis, people might be tempted to save on prescription costs by sharing drugs. But no one should be sharing their leftover prescription drugs as the potential harms are likely to far outweigh any immediate benefit.

The Conversation

Parastou Donyai works for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Colonoscopy is still the most recommended screening for colorectal cancer, despite conflicting headlines and flawed interpretations of a new study

Next Post

Three reasons why strong perfumes give you a headache

Next Post
Three reasons why strong perfumes give you a headache

Three reasons why strong perfumes give you a headache

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS