COIMBATORE: Tapentadol, an opioid prescribed to alleviate moderate to severe pain, is increasingly abused as a narcotic drug, say Coimbatore police.
Senior officers told TNIE that they cannot register cases against people misusing Tapentadol, which is freely available in several brand names, because the drug is not listed under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
A senior police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said sale of the drug has increased in the city. “Abuse of prescription drugs is not new, but the rise in use of opiod drugs has risen because we intensified surveillance against smuggling of ganja and other contraband items,” he said.
When asked how the drug, which is a schedule II medicine, is freely available, the officer said “We have almost curtailed over-the-counter sale of prescribed drugs, but peddlers are smuggling them from neighbouring states. We arrested several drug peddlers, but could not register cases against them because Tapentadol is not listed in the NDPS Act”, adding they have to deal with such cases under sections of IPC and CrPC . “ We tell our personnel to check if peddlers have any other scheduled drugs in their possession. If yes, we file the case under NDPS Act.”
The issue figured in the stakeholders meeting convened by Coimbatore city police on November 27.
Sources said a health department official who took part in the meeting said they are witnessing an increase in cases of Tapentadol addiction.
Replying to her, police commissioner V Balakrishnan said they have sensitised pharmacies not sell the drug without a prescription, but peddlers were sneaking it into the city through trains or even parcel services.
When contacted, a senior officer from the Drug administration department told TNIE “The drug is listed as scheduled II in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. we are monitoring the sale of the drug in a strict manner,” he said.
He added “ There are 239 contraband items listed under the NDPS Act, and we hope the union government would add Tapentadol to the list soon.”