Togo: Withdrawal of Klipal 600mg/50mg from care

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Extract from the article: Togo's Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the drug KLIPAL 600mg/50mg tablets B/12 from all pharmacies in the country. Doctors are now prohibited from prescribing it.

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Togo's Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the drug KLIPAL 600mg/50mg tablets B/12 from all pharmacies in the country. Doctors are now prohibited from prescribing it.

This measure follows a defect observed during a visual inspection, which represents a risk to public health. The Directorate of Pharmacy, Medicines and Laboratories has ordered that dispensing of the drug be stopped immediately and that batches in circulation be recalled from stockists.

Klipal 600mg/50mg was commonly used as a powerful painkiller, particularly in the treatment of post-operative pain, muscular pain and severe headaches. However, the health authorities, under the leadership of the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Prof. Tchin Darre, are firmly committed to protecting the health of the Togolese people by withdrawing from the market any product presenting a potential risk.

Klipal 600mg/50mg is a combination of paracetamol (600mg) and codeine (50mg). Codeine is an opioid analgesic used to relieve moderate to severe pain. It works by converting into morphine in the body, providing a powerful analgesic effect. However, its use presents a number of health risks, including dependence and addiction, serious side effects including nausea, dizziness, confusion, respiratory problems and severe constipation.

In some cases, excessive consumption can lead to fatal respiratory depression. There are also risks of misuse. In several countries, codeine has been diverted for recreational purposes, particularly among young people, who use it to make dangerous cocktails such as ‘purple drank’.

Togo is not the first country to restrict or ban KLIPAL 600mg/50mg. Other countries have also taken radical measures against codeine-containing medicines, because of the risks of addiction and worrying side-effects. Pending further clarification from the Ministry, patients in possession of Klipal 600mg/50mg are urged to stop using it immediately and consult a doctor for a safer therapeutic alternative.

Jean ELI