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All opioid drugs in the UK will now carry dependency warnings on their labels, the Health Secretary said.
All opioid drugs in the UK will now carry dependency warnings on their labels, the Health Secretary said.
This comes after the data revealed a 60% increase in opioid prescriptions in England and Wales over the last 10 years.
The number of prescriptions issued in the community in 2008 was 14 million, but this number rose to 23 million in 2018.
In England and Wales, the number of codeine-related deaths has risen to more than 150 in 2018, more than double the number recorded in 2008.
Health Secretary Matt Hanbad said: "The recent increase in the number of opioid addicts worries me a lot.
"Painkillers have been a major breakthrough in modern medicine and are extremely important in helping people manage pain along with their busy lives, but they need to be treated with caution."
Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer in England, said: "It is essential that anyone who is prescribed strong painkillers only take them as long as they suffer from severe pain.As soon as the pain starts to fade, the drugs have done their job and it is drugs like paracetamol that do not have the same risk of dependence as long-term use. "
It follows a major opioid drug study launched in February of this year by the government drug regulatory agency to combat over-prescription and addiction.
This story was originally published by our sister Pulse publication
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