Pregabalin/Lyrica reclassified to a class C drug
Pregabalin powder - also known by the brand name Lyrica, or the street name bud - is an anti-epileptic drug also used to relieve chronic pain.
Northern Ireland has the highest prescription rate for pregabalin in the UK.
It is illegal to have class C drugs without a prescription and illegal
to supply or sell them to others.There will also be stronger controls in
place to ensure accountability and minimise the chances of pregabalin
falling into the wrong hands or being stockpiled by patients.
The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs made the recommendation to
reclassify the drug in a letter to ministers, including the then home
secretary Theresa May, in January 2016.
The letter cited warnings from the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB),
which highlighted "significant misuse and abuse" of the drug.There is a
growing illicit market for the drug in Northern Ireland, with many
people purchasing it online from unregulated websites.
It is understood that Lyrica has been coming into Northern Ireland in
fairly constant levels for a number of years, along with other
prescription drugs including diazepam and temazepam.
Packages of the drug ordered by customers in Northern Ireland are
intercepted by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the UK Border Agency
at airports in England every week, according to the Police Service of
Northern Ireland (PSNI).While the drugs are referred to as prescription
drugs, they are largely not being prescribed through community
pharmacies.
They are illicitly bought or sold and supplied through the internet and
largely the individuals are appearing to be using a mixture of drugs.
Joe Brogan, the HSCB's head of pharmacy and medicines management,
described the growing numbers of deaths associated with pregabalin and
other prescription drugs as a "scourge".
He added: "In many cases of pregabalin misuse, it has not been
prescribed - it has been sourced through family or friends or bought on
the street or via the internet.
"Many such drugs that are bought from illicit sources do not actually contain medicines that they purport to be.
"Any medicine or any drug can be a poison - it all depends on three
things: Where you get it from - was it prescribed and supplied from a
regulated source?; how much you take - was it taken within accepted
dosages?; what you take it with - mixing drugs together and with alcohol
can create a toxic mix that is lethal."
